Arctic Wind
by Copper Moon
Summary: A misfit soldier and a rogue ishbalen find themselves in the midst of war. The military is no place for emotions, especially not love. But somehow, it still manages to find its way there. Pairings: Roy/OC , Havoc/OC
1. Chapter 1

CM: Hello all! I decided to do an FMA story because I love it so much and I finally got around to writing one. So, read and tell me what you think!

Disclaimers: Don't own FMA yadda yadda meh

Chapter One: Ambitions and Regulations

It was a calm and quiet day at Eastern Central. Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang sat at his desk, staring out the window, watching the clouds build up. No doubt it would rain later that day. Peace was broken by a commotion outside his office.

"You can't go in there!"

"But I need to! It's important."

"I'm sorry miss but you really mustn't…"

Suddenly, his door burst open. A young girl of seventeen with waist-length dark brown hair and startling blue eyes stumbled in. "I'm here to join the army!" She announced with a salute.

Roy stared at her for a moment before glancing around his room, "Alright guys, very funny. Let this kid go back to wherever you stole her from."

"We don't know where she came from Colonel," Jean Havoc told the flame alchemist.

"We tried to stop her," Fuery said despairingly.

"And you couldn't stop one girl from entering my office?" Roy asked, raising an eyebrow at the pair.

"That's mean, Roy," the girl said, crossing her arms. "Is this really the same Pony Boy I knew several years ago?" Roy's eyes grew wide as he realized who was standing before him.

"Pony…Boy?" Fuery and Havoc asked at the same time. Their mouths started twitching as they tried to hold in the laughs that were coming.

"Um….I guess you know her, sir, so…" Fuery started.

"We'll….get back….to work," Havoc finished leading the way out the door. The moment they were out of earshot they burst out laughing, unable to hold it any longer.

"Kathleen," Roy said slowly, his surprise quickly being replaced with a mixture of embarrassment and irritation. "Weren't you supposed to still be in school?"

"I graduated early," Kat told him with a smile. Her name was Kathleen, but she preferred the nickname. "So now I'm here to become a full-fledged state alchemist."

Just then the door opened again as Maes Hughes stepped into the room. "Oh, Roy, I forgot to mention that….Well, I see you've already figured it out. My little sister came back today to become a state alchemist…isn't it wonderful?"

"Hughes," Roy said, giving his friend an irate look. "How could you forget something like that? You talk about her almost constantly."

"Okay, I admit, I wanted it to be a surprise," Hughes admitted.

"Well…you did a wonderful job with that," Roy commented. "NEXT TIME something like this comes up, DON'T WAIT TO TELL ME!!"

"Alright, the next time one of my family members decides to join the army, I'll be sure to tell you right away," Hughes answered with a smile and a pat on Kathleen 's shoulder.

Kat gave a small giggle. "Heehee, I'm so excited. I've been waiting years for this moment!"

"You do realize the test doesn't even begin until two weeks from now," Roy told her.

The dark haired girl sighed. "Yeah, I know. I hope I'll do alright."

Roy rolled his eyes and gave Hughes a *get her out of here now* look.

"I'm sure that no matter what challenges you face during your exam you will come out on top as always," Hughes told her reassuringly.

*bang, bash* "I SAID LET ME GO. YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE ME GET SERIOUS."

"Yeah yeah, be quiet, kid."

"What is it with all the ruckus this morning?" Roy asked out loud in annoyance.

"Hmm, I dunno," Hughes said.

"Hey, Kat maybe you should…" He looked at the spot where his little sister had been only to find that she had vanished from sight. Both men exchanged a look that clearly said 'oh dang it, not again'.

The two ran out to see Kat standing over a floored soldier guy while a girl with red hair sat to the side rubbing her head gingerly as if someone had been trying to pull her hair out. Looking at her, she was probably about the same age as Kat.

"You shouldn't treat people like that," Kat admonished.

"What did you do that for, Kat?" Hughes asked going to help the downed soldier up.

"What I want to know is who THAT kid is," Roy replied focusing on the redhead.

"What's it to you?" the red head retorted angrily rubbing her head.

"Sir," the soldier said to Roy. "That girl is an Ishbalen."

"What are you talking about?" Kat said with a smile. "If you're talking about her skin, don't you think it looks like it's from a tanning booth? And she has green eyes. Right, big bro?"

Hughes looked at his sister for a moment before looking at the redhead. "Well… Kat has a point."

Roy was also staring at the red-headed girl, and then, catching the pleading look on Kat's face, he understood. "Leave the girl with me, soldier."

"Sir!" The soldier saluted before taking off.

The redhead stared at the retreating soldier in surprise, then she glanced at the three who had made him let her go. When nobody said anything for a few minutes, the red head stood up and brushed herself off. "Thanks for that. I guess I'll be going then," she said turning to walk out the door.

"Stop right there," Roy commanded.

"Why should I, Mr. Big Man? I've got no reason to be here and you've got no right to hold me," she declared spinning around.

"On the contrary," Roy said. "I could have let you be thrown into prison."

"Young lady, what were you doing in this area, if I may ask?" Hughes inquired.

"I wasn't in this area. That guy dragged me here from the outskirts of town," she told them, angrily pointing in the direction the soldier had walked.

"What reason did you give him for doing that?" Roy asked, his eyes narrowing.

"I didn't do anything. I just happened to be walking nearby when someone shouted out that I was Ishbalan, fat chance of that, and then that guy carted me off."

"I was wondering, what is your name, young lady?" Hughes asked with a warm smile.

"I don't have to give you my name, it's not like you absolutely need it or anything," she replied with a frown.

Hughes continued to smile at her without a word and she tried very hard not to look at his welcoming face. Finally, she cracked and looked back at the three. "My name is….Elly," she told them grudgingly.

"A pleasure, Elly," Hughes said cordially.

"I have work I need to get back to," Roy said shortly. "Hughes, since it was your sister who chose to get herself involved, her first call to duty will be to keep an eye on this girl until further notice."

"Cool, I have a new friend," Kat said cheerily.

"Great….I have to stay with this happy-go-lucky girl? I don't see how I'm going to survive," Elly grumbled under her breath.

"Don't be like that….I'm sure you and Kat will become best of friends," Hughes said encouragingly.

"Kat?....meow," Elly said, amused.

"That's not very nice," Kat said with a small frown. But not two seconds later the smile was back on and she took hold of the girl's arm. "Come on, let's go do some exploring." And away they went.

"She's so cute," Hughes said lovingly. Then he added a sly, "…and single."

"Don't push it, Hughes," Roy growled. He then turned around and went back to his office to cool his aching head.

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"Let go. Where are you taking me?" Elly asked as she attempted to pull away from the energetic girl.

"I already told you," Kat said, coming to a halt and facing the red head. "We're exploring. I'm going to be working here soon, so I want to scope out my new surroundings."

"Exploring? You've got to be kidding me. Just let go already, I have things I need to do and I don't have time to waste with anyone in the army," Elly told her savagely.

"Yeah, but if I let you go, the guy who might be employing me could get angry. I know you could probably care less, but this job means the world to me. I spent seven years going through school and went through seven hells worth of training. So, say what you want, but you're stuck with me." Kat then gave her a friendly smile. "So you might as well enjoy yourself."

Elly grimaced at the thought but she really didn't want to cause someone else too much trouble. She allowed herself to be dragged all over the town without complaint. Partway through the exploration Elly found herself actually enjoying the soldier's company. She began to smile and laugh a little, despite her best efforts not to show anything.

Halfway through the journey, the two girls were stopped by a bunch of thug-like characters. "Please let us by," Kat told them.

"Oh we will," one said grinning. "Once we get a fee that is."

"I really don't want to have to hurt you," Kat said genuinely.

They all laughed. "Let's take 'em both." And they charged.

Kat sighed. "Fine, you brought this on yourself." Dropping her bags, she ducked down just as they came and did a sweeping kick, knocking them all off-balance. One of the thugs knocked to the ground tried grabbing a hold of Elly's ankle in an attempt to drag her down.

"I've had enough of this," Elly said with a smirk of anger. "I've been looking for someone to take this anger out on."

She gave the man a kick before, quicker than the eyes could follow, drawing a symbol and placing her hands on the ground turning the earth into sand and covering the offenders from head to toe in hardened sand.

"Now, I feel much better," Elly said standing up and brushing her hands off.

"Wow," Kat said in surprise. "So you can use alchemy too, huh?"

"Yeah….sort of," Elly replied with a shrug. She turned back to the goons who had attacked them and glared hard. "Anyone else want to take a shot at hurting us?" she dared, somewhat hoping they would.

Those who hadn't been trapped quickly made a run for it. "Make good choices!" Kat shouted after them.

Turning back to Elly, she continued. "Hmm, have you ever considered becoming a state alchemist? We could take the test together and become partners and travel the world bringing justice on our shoulders!" She said with proverbial fire in her eyes.

Elly just sat there and stared at her like she was of a completely different species. "Me…become a state alchemist? Ha, yeah right. There's no way I'd ever take that stupid test. I don't like the army and never will, and I'm not about to join it."

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"No, she is not taking the test and she is not joining the army," Roy said not even looking up from his paper work.

"But, I don't want to take the test alone," Kat said. "There might be some really creepy guys there."

"Whether there are or not, it wouldn't matter if she did take it with you or not….only one person becomes a state alchemist per test," Roy told her signing one of the papers and moving it into a stack of finished papers.

"Well then," Kat said. "I have a proposition."

"And that would be?" Roy asked not looking at her.

"When I become a state alchemist and get my own apartment, I want her to be able to live with me and be my partner."

He finally glanced up at her with a raised eyebrow, "And why would you want to have an Ishbalan living in the same room as you?"

"That's surprisingly mean of you," Kat said.

"You were here for five minutes and you had already involved yourself with matters you should have stayed out of," Roy said, finally putting his paperwork down and looking at her. "I have half a mind to have Hughes send you back home."

Kat's face turned serious for a moment. "You wouldn't."

"You know me better than that Kat. If I feel that you are continuing to get into things you shouldn't, I will have you sent home," Roy threatened.

"Geez, you're worse than my brother," Kat said with a sigh, but she smiled nonetheless. "She's alone. She doesn't have any family whatsoever."

"And you don't know anything about her," Roy added.

"I can tell she's a trustworthy person," Kat said firmly.

"What makes you say that?" Roy asked. "How can you be sure that that girl is not just playing you for a sap?"

Kat stared at him. There were so many things that she wanted to say, and she knew that this would be her last chance. But instead, she took a deep breath before speaking. "If she does, then I'll take all the responsibility for it."

Roy smiled for the first time, "Good, because if anything goes wrong, you will pay the penalty for all of it."

"Thank you, sir," Kat said, bowing.

"Don't act so formal. I'm not your boss yet," Roy said getting back to his paperwork.

"Aha!" She exclaimed with triumph. "So you admit that I'm capable of passing the test."

"Just because I'm not yet your boss doesn't mean that I ever will be," Roy replied with a small grin.

"Just you wait, Mustang," Kat said, smiling as she headed out the door. "By next week, I'm gonna have a new watch."

He waited until she left the room before muttering to himself, "Somehow, I seriously doubt that."

Back outside Elly was sitting down on one of the benches…alone…waiting for Kat to come back out. Once she spotted her she raised an eyebrow in question, "So how'd it go?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well, I talked it over with the colonel and it took some convincing," Kat said grinning. "But, I managed to convince him. You're going to be living with me from now on. Isn't that great?"

Elly's face turned a greenish-red color, "Wait, so I'm going to be stuck here….in this city….unable to go anywhere…..unless you come with me? I won't be able to travel anywhere?"

"Well, we'll probably traveling once I'm a state alchemist, but, yeah. That pretty much sums it up," Kat said not dropping the smile.

"Great, just great. Looks like I'm going to be hitting the road. I'll drop you a line whenever I decide to," Elly said, taking a few steps backward.

"Hey, I'm serious," Kat told her. "It's either that or prison."

"What's the difference?"

"Oh, that's cold. Come on, it won't be so bad," Kat assured her. "It'll be fun."

"You really don't understand what it means for me to be stuck with the army do you?" she asked as she sat back down, resigning herself to her *imprisonment*. "I didn't plan on coming to this town you know….that just sort of….happened."

"I realize that," Kat said with a nod. "I wasn't being serious when I said you had a tan. I'm not that naïve." One thing she couldn't stand was racism. "But think of it this way. By being here, you could be making a stand."

"Oh, yeah right….the most I'd be doing is walking a razor's edge. I'm sure that the moment something goes wrong, even if I didn't cause it, I'm going to be blamed for it." Elly had her head in her hands now and was staring at the ground in utter defeat.

Kat sat down next to her. "It's painful, isn't it? Being shunned, being looked down on, being treated as if you weren't even a human being." At the girl's questioning look she said. "I've had my share of rejection. But if anything happens, I promise you won't take the fall. At least not without me."

Elly stared at her for a moment, trying to decide if she meant it or not. "You aren't just pulling my leg, are you?" she finally asked, her eyes examining every inch of her face for something that might give her away.

"No, but I might be pulling your arm in just a minute," Kat said, seeing her brother come running up from behind Elly.

"Hey Kit-Kat, have you been keeping out of trouble?" Hughes asked her teasingly.

"Of course," Kat said with a smile.

"Glad to hear it. Roy told me the news."

"And what do you think?" Kat asked.

"I think it will be a wonderful opportunity for you, helping out this poor orphan girl," Hues replied, motioning toward Elly.

"How do you know I'm an orphan?" she asked scathingly. "For all you know I could have a family out there."

"You very well could, and if you do we'll be sure to send them the message that you'll be staying with a friend for a time," he answered still smiling. "We wouldn't want to make them worry. Now, what is their address?"

"It's……I don't know," Elly released. "Just promise me that, if I do stay here, you'll leave me alone."

"Don't look so down, big bro," Kat told the crestfallen Hughes. "She just needs some time to adjust."

"Yes, of course," Hughes said. "Oh, by the way Kat, if you want to do well on the alchemist test you might want to study up. The library is open to guests so use it to your heart's content."

"See, what did I tell you?" Kat said to Elly before taking her by the arm and dragging her down the hall. "Let's go! Thanks, big brother!"

"I can walk on my own you know. You don't have to drag me everywhere you go," Elly shouted at her.

Kat didn't seem to have heard her, however, and continued to drag her along all the way to the end of the hall and around the corner. They didn't stop until they reached the library.

"I'm going to be sooo bored," Elly thought as Kat pulled her through the doors.

Kat dove straight into the books and got to work on memorizing what she needed to for the test. No matter what, she had to pass this test and show Roy that she WAS capable of becoming a state alchemist.

Elly watched her enthusiasm for several minutes, "So, why are you so enthusiastic about this thing? I mean, you may have to kill people once you become a soldier."

Kat smiled sadly. "I know. But, it was something that I've always dreamed of doing. Something happened a long time ago, when I was just a child. But it changed my life forever. And I made a promise that I would become a state alchemist, no matter what the cost, so that I will be able to travel the world and help people."

Elly wondered what could have made her want to join the army so badly, but she caught a very strong feeling from Kat and didn't press the issue. Instead, she decided to try to find something to read, "I might as well, if I'm going to be in here for a while," she thought, leaving Kat to her book-reading.

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CM: Not bad for a start eh? Next chapter there will be more action, I promise. So stay tuned! ;)


	2. Making the Cut

CHAPTER TWO: MAKING THE CUT 

"You seem troubled, Colonel," Hawkeye stated as she walked in on the flame alchemist staring out his window, his paperwork having been long abandoned out of frustration.

"I wonder why?" he replied sarcastically. He stood up and walked to his window to avoid looking at her. "Kat is taking the alchemist test today after all."

"Are you worried she won't make it? Or are you more worried that she will make it?" Hawkeye asked going to the window as well.

"Both I guess. I really don't want her to make it," he started.

"But you don't want her to be so disappointed in herself either," Hawkeye finished.

Roy heaved a sigh. "I just don't think she's cut out for this kind of work. She's naïve, she doesn't take things seriously, and she's an optimist. And above all…"

"Yes, colonel?" Hawkeye asked after a moment period of silence.

"She still has the innocence of a child," Roy concluded quietly. "Being a state alchemist could destroy her."

"You mean like it destroyed you?" she asked slowly.

He lowered his head for a moment, eyes closed, "Exactly."

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"Alright we're passing out your papers. Do not start the exam until instructed to do so," the tall examiner commanded. As soon as the papers were passed out to all the participants he turned to them and spoke loudly and harshly. "There will be no cheating during this exam. Those who do will fail at once." He glared at every single one of them and lingered a little longer on Kat's face.

Kat noticed the examiner looking at her funny. 'What should I do?' she thought. 'Oh, I know! I should probably be polite and smile.' Kat grinned at the examiner and gave him a cheerful wave. This of course, only caused the examiner to frown.

Once the papers were passed out, the examiner continued speaking, "You have one hour to complete your exam. Beginning…. Now!" Kat picked up her pencil and started on the first question.

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"I can't believe that my little sister aced the written part of the exam," Hughes gushed at Roy happily. "I knew she'd do well, she always does after all, but even I never expected her to ace it."

"I'm surprised as well. However, she still has the interview and the practical to pass, so I wouldn't celebrate just yet," Roy reminded him.

"You're right, I'll celebrate once she passes the whole thing," Hughes replied joyfully.

"You don't seem at all concerned with the fact that your sister is joining the army," Roy noted irately.

"Come on, Roy. Of course I'm worried," Hughes said, his expression turning somewhat serious. "However, she's almost eighteen and an adult. If she truly wants this, then who am I to stop her?"

"Sometimes Hughes, I just don't understand you. You really don't want her to join and yet you don't do anything to dissuade her," Roy ranted for a moment.

"I know. I really would, but she's reached the age where I can no longer treat her like a child. She's old enough to know what she wants and understand the consequences of those choices," Hughes explained sadly. "And she was so cute as a child. I still have her pictures with me too. Do you want to see them?"

"No. I really don't want to see those old things," Roy said turning back to his undone paperwork.

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"Alright Kathleen, now take a seat in the light for your interview," a harsh voice commanded the moment she walked into the room.

Kat did as she was told and took a seat feeling slightly nervous. She sat straight in the chair and tried to look as professional as she could. "Hello, Miss Kathleen," a friendly voice greeted her and Kat looked up to see the outlines of three people. "I trust you're ready?"

"Yes sir," Kat said with a spark of determination.

They asked her a few questions about her past and experience with alchemy. Then as the interview was wrapping up the tall man in the center asked one last question, "Why do you want to be a state alchemist?"

Kat looked down at the floor. "Because… I made a promise to someone very important to me that I would become a state alchemist, no matter what the cost." She looked up with fire in her eyes. "And I'll give life and limb to fulfill that promise and carry out my duties to the best of my ability!"

The man in the center let out a chuckle at her answer, "If that is your reason, and you are standing by it then we are finished with this interview. You may leave now." Kat stood up and thanked the three before leaving the room feeling much more relaxed.

Roy stood in the shadows, having heard the whole thing. He couldn't help but wonder to himself just whom it was she made this promise to and who would she be willing to push herself this far for.

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The next day, was the practical. Kat glanced around to see that Colonel Mustang, her brother, and Elly were there along with the Fuhrer and other examiners. Kat also noticed that she was the only female alchemist taking the test. She saw some of the male alchemist pointing at her and whispering to each other before sniggering. She would show them…

"Good everyone is present. Now if the Fuhrer is ready we shall begin the practical," the examiner announced. The Fuhrer nodded his head and the practical began.

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"I can't wait to see what these shrimps do," Elly said smirking. She watched as one boy attempted to turn the ground into a large bowl to hold his other elements in and almost fell over with laughter as it crumbled into dust. "Is that the best they've got here?" she asked shaking with mirth.

"No…though he does seem to know what he's doing…unlike some people," Roy shot back.

"Well excuse me for breathing," Elly retorted coldly. She turned her attention back to the group of people and spotted Kat preparing for her own amazing feat.

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'Of course, save the woman for last,' Kat thought as she stepped up to the pool of water. She knelt down and drew a circle before placing her hands onto the ground. The water spiraled up into the air before twisting back down where it began forming into ice. As the water came down the ice became taller and everyone stared in awe as they watched the coordinated display of alchemy. In a few moments, two ice sculptures stood back to back. One was of Fuhrer Bradley, and the other of Colonel Mustang. The sculptures were both lifelike and precise, down to the alchemy symbol drawn on Roy's ignition gloves. Kat stood back up, happy at the reactions her performance had stimulated.

Elly cheered with the rest of the young ones, and Hughes. Roy was both stunned and somewhat pleased at the job that was done. He was looking at the sculpture this way and that, examining every inch of it before he was completely satisfied with the product. Fuhrer Bradley applauded her and actually walked right up to her.

"I must say I'm very impressed with that little performance. The army will expect great things from you," he told her before walking off.

"Well done Kat…you were great. A lot better than those other guys at the very least," Elly said running up to her and slapping her on the back in greeting.

"Thanks," Kat said appreciatively. "I gotta admit though, I was kind of nervous."

"That was fantastic!" Hughes said coming up to his sister and giving her a hug. "Just what I'd expect from my little Kit-Kat!"

Kat laughed and pretended to act embarrassed. "Bro, not here!"

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The next day Kat was called in to Colonel Mustang's office. She stepped in the room, her heart hammering with anticipation.

"Well it looks like you made it after all. Fancy that," Roy started shifting through some papers on his desk without looking up. "The Fuhrer really does have a sense of humor though," he added pulling up a folder and handing it to Kat with a grin.

Kat's face lit up when she was told that she had made it. She was about to cartwheel around the room when Roy handed her the folder and she look inside curiously. The name up at the top read: Ice Cold Alchemist. "That sounds strangely dark and foreboding," Kat said in wonderment.

"Yeah I know. That's why I said he's got a sense of humor. Who would ever think a person who is always happy has a very cold name," Roy answered with a smirk. "No one will ever know it's you."

"Well, I think I can live with that," Kat sat closing the folder with a smile before giving a salute. "Permission to say 'I told you so', sir."

"No," Roy answered immediately. "One thing you will learn here is that I am always right. Now here is your alchemist watch, take it and go, but make sure that you are always on call if and when the army is in need of your assistance."

"Yes sir," Kat said taking the watch with glee. She began to leave but… "Just one moment, Kathleen."

"Sir, I wish you'd just call me Kat like everyone else does," Kat said turning back to the Lt. Colonel.

"I'm not everyone else though am I?" He said getting up from his seat.

"I suppose not, Lt. Colonel," Kat said with a smile.

"Make sure you don't get into too much trouble while you are having free time," Roy told her with a smile. "And make sure that Elly doesn't do anything stupid as well."

"You got it," Kat said with a salute.

"Good, now get out of my office. I have a lot of work to do," Roy said going back to his desk.

"Don't miss me while I'm gone," Kat said before leaving.

"As if I need to try," Roy muttered shaking his head.

Elly stood up as she heard Kat leave Roy's office. She noticed the new silver watch hanging from her hand and smiled in satisfaction. "So I guess that means you made it huh, Congratulations. Now what do you plan to do?"

"Hmmm," Kat thought for a moment. Then she punched a fist into the air. "Eat ice cream!" She laughed at the look Elly was giving her. "And after that," Kat said with a grin. "Feel like going on an adventure?"

Elly grinned, "Sure why not, anything to get out of this army town."


	3. Dangerous Encounter

**_A Deadly Encounter_**

Two and a half years later….

Deep in a mafia hideout, two masked guards sat keeping watch in one of the hallways. Suddenly, two other guards, also masked, came in. "What are you doing here?" one guard asked the two newcomers.

"Shift change isn't for another ten minutes," the other said.

"Change of plans," one new arrival said before punching the first officer out.

"Geez, Elly," the second chided. "Does the word 'subtlety' mean anything to you?"

The guard who didn't get knocked out tried shooting at the two but the other masked person raised their hand and deflected the bullet with what appeared to be a sheet of ice.

"Who are you?" The guard asked, falling to the ground in a panic.

"Just call us the Extermination Squad," Elly replied, turning to him as well. The other masked person groaned at the name. She walked up and grabbed the guy by the front of his shirt, "We would be much obliged if you'd give us a little info….we may even let you off easy."

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Deeper into the hideout, the leader sat in his room with several of his cohorts, making plans for a huge shipment of stolen goods, when two of his men came running in looking frantic. "Sir! The hideout has been infiltrated!"

"What? That's impossible," the leader said, standing up. "This place is impenetrable. No one could have broken in."

"Sir! It's--" Both were suddenly blasted across the room by a powerful, icy gust of wind and froze against the opposite wall.

"I see," the leader said, standing up to face the two imposters who had just entered. "I've heard rumors of two female alchemists running around this area. You must be Miss Ice Cold."

"Yes…" One of the pair took off her mask to reveal long dark hair and a cheerful expression. "Hello, everyone! Pleased to meet you all."

"You didn't actually _have_ to remove the mask, you know. That kind of defeats the purpose of having a disguise," Elly told her, shaking her head.

"Are you _sure_ you are the Ice Cold Alchemist?" the leader asked, confused.

"Course she is. What did you expect?" Elly asked, already knowing the answer.

"I was actually expecting someone more…I don't know….serious," the leader replied dubiously.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Kat said with a laugh. "Now, to get down to business. We know you've been responsible for dealing illegal goods. So, we'd appreciate it if you came quietly."

"I don't think so. No female is going to shut down my business, even if she is a state alchemist. Besides, I only really have to worry about one of you…the other isn't a state alchemist, after all," he said, pulling out a rifle and pointing it at Elly. "_Now_, you will _**die**_!"

Elly shook her head again before jumping to the side and throwing her hand to the ground, making a large spike come up, skewering the gun. "Who don't you have to worry about?" she snarked.

The leader let out a growl of frustration. "Shoot them!" he screamed to the dozen men there. Startled, they did so, picking up arms and firing.

Kat had already gone into action. In a flash of light, a wall of ice had formed in front of herself and Elly. "They always want to do it the hard way," she sighed.

"That's perfectly alright with me, I prefer it that way. It's much more entertaining," Elly replied.

While Kat held up the shield of ice, Elly went to work on taking out the crew of criminals. She activated one of the many seals she had written on her clothes and created several weapons made of the air itself, launching them at their assailants, knocking them out one by one. After a couple of seconds, the gunfire stopped and Elly walked out from behind the wall of ice.

"Looks like I got them all. Sorry about that Kat," Elly said, glancing around the room. There was a slight movement to her right and she spotted one of the men getting up and running for the door. "Scratch that, looks like I missed one. You want him?"

"Yeah, I got it," Kat said making an L shape with her forefinger and thumb and aiming it like a gun. A bead of water formed at the tip of her finger, the size of a marble, before shooting off. It hit the guy square in the back of the head, not hard enough to kill him, but enough to knock him senseless. He fell to the ground in a daze. "That's why you really shouldn't run."

"Nice shot, Kat, you nailed him," Elly said, finally taking off her mask. "Well that takes care of that. Now, we tie these guys together like a bundle of sticks and take them down to Colonel Mustang….right?" she asked turning one of the men onto their back and examining him closely. "Either way, these guys are going to live, though I think I hit this guy a little too hard. He'll probably have minor brain damage after this."

"Yeah, we really should pull our punches more," Kat said rubbing the back of her head.

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The next day….

Kat stood in front of Colonel Roy Mustang's desk as he read the report. "Three crime lords, five assassins, and about a half a dozen wanted criminals," Roy said, reading off the list of people that had been taken into custody. "You really know how to clean house, don't you?"

"We got lucky," Kat said with a shrug. "Plus, I had great backup."

"I have noticed that she really does do a good job when she wants to, and she seems to understand when to attack and when to hold off," Roy commented, shifting the papers and setting them down on his desk. "I assume then that no problems have arisen since you two have started working together?" he asked, watching her closely.

"Well, we have our disagreements every now and then, but other than that, things have never been better," Kat said with a grin.

"Good to know. To be honest, I had my misgivings when you first joined. But I'm impressed at the efficiency you've been showing. Keep it up, and you may even get promoted."

"Ranks don't really matter to me all that much," Kat said smiling. "I'm just glad I can be of help."

He grinned. "That's very good to know. Now, if there is nothing else holding you here, then I would appreciate it if you left me to my work."

Kat gave a salute before leaving the office.

When she found Elly she saw Havoc speaking to her. "Come on, just one date?"

Elly was staring at him with irritation covering her face. "For the last time Havoc, I'm not going on a date with you. No matter how much you ask, I'm not going to change my mind," she told him, exasperated. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm not denying you because I want Roy. I could care less about Mr. Ego."

"Well, I'll admit, that does make me feel somewhat better. But still," he let out a forlorn sigh. "I can't ask Kat out."

"Why not?" Elly asked.

"Because Hughes already told me I can't," he answered, lowering his head.

"Oh, that _would_ be a good reason," Elly agreed. "Really Havoc, you really should find someone your own age….or older," she told him.

"I have already tried, but they all…." he began.

"Look, if none of the girls you've found so far have liked you then that just means that you haven't found that one who is right for you," Elly told him. cutting him off. "I'm sure that one day, though, you'll find that special someone who will like you for who you are."

"You know, that would have made me feel better if I hadn't heard it before," Havoc said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, Havoc," Kat called. Havoc looked over to see Kat standing there with her finger pointed at him and one eye shut like she was aiming. "BANG!"

Havoc jumped to the side, landing hard on the ground and coming back up, sweat on his brow, looking for where the attack had landed.

"Man, I can't believe you are still so afraid of that. There's no way she'd actually attack you, unless you ticked her off enough," Elly said, laughing her head off.

"That wasn't very nice, Kat," Havoc said sulkily.

"Aw, I only do it because you're my friend Havoc," she said grinning.

"Exactly, she only really attacks her enemies, so be glad you aren't one of those," Elly added smiling.

"Give me some warning next time, will you?" Havoc demanded, standing back up.

"Honestly, I thought she did give you some warning. After all she could have just taken a pot shot, missing you on purpose," Elly reminded him.

Kat giggled and patted Havoc on the back. "By the way, have you seen my brother around?"

"He went home earlier, if I recall correctly."

"Could you give us a ride?" Kat asked sweetly, giving her best too-cute-to-refuse face.

"After what you just did? I have half a mind to…" he stopped at the look on her face and fought against the urge to agree.

"Fine. I'll…I'll give you a ride," he said, giving in.

"I don't know how you do it Kat, but it works almost every time," Elly said with a small laugh.

"Thank you!" Kat said, giving Havoc a friendly hug before skipping off in the direction of the car.

"Sometimes I can't help but wonder what she's doing in the army," Havoc said, shaking his head as he took out a cigarette. "A cute, carefree girl like that, you'd think she could have found a better hobby."

"Yeah, well, when you have a promise to keep, you will do almost anything," Elly replied, shaking her head.

"What do you mean by that?" Havoc asked.

"Never mind, let's just get going before Kat gets impatient," Elly said.

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"Well, it's good to see that you both have been staying out of trouble," Havoc said once they were on the road.

"Yeah, Elly and I make a really good team," Kat stated.

"Well, you certainly balance each other out, that's for sure."

"I guess you're right. I never thought about it that way. So where are we going?" Elly asked, leaning into the space between the front two seats.

"Well, since Lt. Colonel Hughes is probably at home, that is where we shall be going," Havoc answered.

"Well, I guess that isn't _too_ bad….as long as he doesn't try to shove his daughter's picture in my face."

"Kit-Kat!" Hughes exclaimed upon opening the door.

"Bro!" Kat shouted just as happily before embracing her older brother in a tight hug. "How are my beautiful sister-in-law and my adorable niece doing?"

"Auntie Kat!" a small voice called from inside. Following the shout, a little girl came running up and jumped into Kat's arms. "I missed you, Auntie Kat. Where have you been?"

"Aw! I missed you too," Kat squealed before scooping up her niece and lifting her high up into the air, spinning around a few times, causing the young girl to laugh. "Have you been a good girl while I was away?" Kat asked, resting the girl in a comfortable position in her arms.

"Uh-huh! I've been helping out mommy and daddy lots!" She announced happily. "But why do you have to be away so much, Auntie Kat? You should stay here."

"I know sweetie, but it's part of the job. I'll try not to stay away for too long at a time. Oh, I almost forgot," Kat said reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small hand crafted doll. "I got souvenirs for everyone. Here's yours."

She squealed at the sight of the new doll and hugged it tightly. "I love it Auntie Kat. Thank you," she said, giving her aunt another hug.

"Well, are you going to stay outside all day or are you going to come in?" Hughes asked, standing to one side.

"Thanks, I think I'm going in," Elly said, walking through the door and heading for the kitchen. "By the way, thanks for the ride, Havoc."

"Yes, thank you," Kat told him.

"Hey, no problem," Havoc said with a wave. "I have to get back to work, so you all have fun." And, with that, he left.

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Both Elly and Kat stayed and spent time with the whole family, just talking and laughing. Elly might as well have been part of the family, and as far as they were concerned, she was.

"And then the guy tried to run, but I got him with my water pistol," Kat finished the story as they sat around the dinner table.

"Well, I must say you two have done a wonderful job since joining up," Hughes commented, putting his hands together on the table. "I haven't seen very many alchemists clean up a whole group of criminals without losing a single life or at least sustaining some kind of injury. I am very impressed by your performance."

"Thanks, though you're probably wrong," Elly replied.

"Yeah, bro. I'll bet there are several other alchemists who could have done what we did," Kat remarked.

"You both are so modest," Hughes told them. "Well, I'm just happy that you both are having fun."

"So, how long were you two planning on staying?" Gracia asked the two of them.

Elly glanced at Kat quickly before answering, "We don't know. I guess it depends on if Kat is asked to do something, or if there is somewhere we decide to go exploring." She leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling, feeling quite content where she was…for once.

Suddenly the phone rang, pulling her out of her reverie, as Hughes got up to answer it. "Hello….yes….yes…I see….right away."

"Hey Lt. Colonel, who is it?" Elly called from the kitchen.

"It's a phone call for Kat," he said seriously, coming around the corner. "Please, take the phone into the back room," he added softly.

Kat noted the seriousness in her brother's voice and gave a single nod of understanding before taking the phone from him and retreating into the other room.

"Hello?" She spoke into the voice piece.

She was not at all surprised to hear Roy Mustang's voice on the other end. "Ice Cold, I have a mission for you and Elly. I need the two of you to drop whatever it is you are doing with Hughes and find Dr. Marcoh for me. It's very important that we get to him first. Also, be on the look-out for Edward Elric and his younger brother, I've got a feeling those two are going to find themselves in more trouble than they can handle right now."

Kat felt her heart sink a little. She had wanted to spend more time with her family. After all, they had only just got back.

"I know this is short notice," Roy's voice said cutting through her thoughts, "But you're the only one I can trust with this. No one is to know where you are going or what you are doing, understood?"

Kat couldn't help but feel a little surprised. Finally she said, "Understood, sir. We'll begin searching immediately."

"Good and be careful not to give any information to anyone without my approval," Roy told her before hanging up.

"Hey Kat what's going on?" Elly asked, coming up behind her. "It sounded like something serious." Her face was worried and tense.

"We're going on a little hunt," Kat told her friend. When she came back into the room, she smiled. "Um, sorry to eat and run, but we have to go."

"Aw, but I don't want you to go," Elicia said sadly.

"I know," Kat told her gently. "But Auntie Kat and Auntie Elly have to go do something important. But we'll be back soon, I promise."

"Well, I'm not your aunt but I do need to go as well. Thanks for the hospitality, Gracia, Hughes. Let's get moving, Kat," Elly said, heading quickly for the door.

"One moment," Hughes said, stopping them just before they shut the door. "You two, be careful out there you hear. This mission will probably be the most dangerous one you've had yet. Stay on your toes and never drop your guard. Make sure you make it back here in one piece, or Elicia will throw a fit."

"No worries," Kat told her brother with a wink. "I always stay out of trouble."

Her brother gave a laugh. "That would be the first I've heard of it."

"Hehe, later!" Kat gave a salute before heading off with Elly at her heels. "The Colonel wants us to locate the Elric brothers, and Dr. Marcoh. He sounded pretty concerned, so we should be as quick as possible."

"What do these people look like? It'll help if I know what to look for," Elly told her, running down the street, glancing in every direction.

"We've seen them before several times," Kat said, not slowing her pace. "We just never really introduced ourselves to them. The blonde kid and the guy in armor, remember?"

"Oh yeah….wasn't he the midget man who fought with Roy?" Elly asked, picturing the short blond kid who could do alchemy without using a transmutation circle.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't say that to his face," Kat warned her. "From what I've seen, he's got a really bad temper about that." Kat kept running until she heard an enormous ruckus going on and headed in that general direction. Soon, however, the noises died down. "Dangit," she said, stopping on a street and looking around desperately. "I could have sworn…"

Suddenly a flash of red caught her eye and she saw two people and a metal person disappear into a random shop.

"Bingo."

Elly saw Kat running in the direction of the shop and followed, sure that she had spotted them as well. They followed the group for quite a ways until they reached what looked like a rundown park. They stopped behind a nearby wall to listen to what was happening and make sure they had the right people.

"He wants revenge, what could be more legitimate," they heard the older man say.

"I roll my eyes at thee," Elly said, stepping out from behind their wall and walking up to the threesome.

"Are you here for Marcoh?" The shortest one, Kat knew this was Edward, asked savagely, stepping in front of him.

"Whoa, relax Ed," Kat said, raising her hands in front of her to show they meant no harm. "We were sent by Colonel Mustang to make sure you were alright."

"Yeah, keep your pants on, shorty," Elly said patting his head and walking right on by. Al held his arms to stop Ed from attacking while he shouted in anger. She stopped right in front of Dr. Marcoh and held out a hand in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Marcoh. My name is Eliana Shousta and I know that, even if you did do something horrible to the Ishbalans, that doesn't mean you have to throw away the life you made for yourself."

"I see, so you're Ishbalan. Yes, I see it now," Marcoh said, taking the offered hand. "Your words are touching, but I'm afraid that not everyone would agree."

"But she's right," Kat said to him. "Just because someone wants revenge for deeds done many years ago doesn't mean you should just roll over and allow yourself to be killed. Instead, you should make the best of the life that you have." She held out her hand with a big smile.

"By the way, I'm Kathleen. I've read about your works and I must say, I'm a huge fan."

Elly rolled her eyes, "You know, Kat, I doubt that this was the best time for something like that."

"Hold on a second. Okay, so we know your names, but who are you guys? Are you sure you're Ishbalan?" Ed asked, glancing between the two girls.

"I've heard of you. You're the Ice Cold Alchemist, right?" Al asked, stepping in.

"What? How could Ice Cold be that?" Ed asked, pointing at Kat.

"Hehe, so you've heard of me, huh?" Kat said with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, that's me. Lt. Kathleen Hughes. A.k.a. the Ice Cold Alchemist."

"Wait a minute, you're related to the Lt. Colonel Hughes?" Al asked in amazement.

"You're related to THAT guy?" Ed practically shouted for the world to hear.

"He's my older brother, yes," Kat affirmed proudly.

"So THAT explains it," Ed muttered to himself.

"But then how come we've never met you before?" Al asked.

"Either we were away or just didn't have the time," Kat shrugged.

"Okay then. So, what are you two doing here, again?" Ed asked, getting back to business.

"You don't listen very well, do you? Of course, you're short enough to where the words _would_ just _sail_ right over your head," Elly said, shaking her head. Al had to once more restrain his brother as he threw a tantrum. "We came here on Colonel Mustang's orders to give the three of you a hand," Elly explained again. "So, if you plan to go somewhere, now would be the perfect time."

"Right, well…we could go back home. I'm sure Winry wouldn't mind having you over," Ed suggested, nodding at Dr. Marcoh. "The Rockbells really are a good family."

Marcoh's face suddenly turned green, "No, I can't go," he said, dashing off into the darkness.

The two boys ran after him and Kat gave a sigh. "Aw man! Not again!" She ran after them, Elly following behind.

They caught up with them as Edward was telling Marcoh that they didn't have to go where he didn't want to. "No Edward. There's other reasons why I can't go to Resembool."

He was about to ask why when suddenly Kat looked up before running up and shoving the two boys back. "LOOK OUT."

A tall, dark-colored man with white hair and a large scar across his face stood before them, looking out of breath. Ed and Al both stared at him in fear and Marcoh took a step backwards.

"Stay out of my way," he said to Kat as she stood between him and the two brothers.

"I don't know what your reasons are," Kat said, not budging from her spot. "But I'm not about to let you harm anyone here. I ask that you please leave peacefully." As she sank into a fighting stance, her pocket watch slipped out of her pocket and dangled by the chain strapped at her belt loop.

"You are a State Alchemist?" he asked, somewhat surprised. "I see, the Ice Cold alchemist right? The only alchemist today that is a female and a child, I will judge you now as well."

Kat remembered her brother telling her about a serial killer who was going around murdering state alchemists. This must be the guy. He dove at Kat but she was ready. She evaded his attack before using her alchemy to knock him against the wall with a powerful shot of water.

"Elly! Take everyone and get out of here," Kat quickly told her partner, keeping a close eye on the Ishbalan as he recovered from her assault.

Elly sat frozen for a moment, staring at the man before she shook her head forcefully and grabbed Ed by the back of his shirt, dragging him down the alleyway.

"You aren't going to help her?" Al asked, running after them.

"She'll be fine, I know she can handle this guy….especially since it's raining," Elly told them, continuing to lead them away from the battle. "Besides, my skills aren't much good in the rain, so I'd only be a hindrance, really."

"Why are you doing this?" Kat shouted, as she sparred with the guy. She was impressed at how good he was and she was worried about getting too close because of his deadly right arm. Whenever he got too close, she would push him back with water. "Murdering innocent people... what gives you the right to decide who deserves to live or die? People should value life, not try to take it away."

"Tell that to the State Alchemists who slaughtered my family," he growled, coming back at her with force. "I am passing God's judgment on all state alchemists, that is what this arm was made to do." He continued his relentless attack, not letting up even when pushed back.

Kat went to block him with another water attack, but was caught off guard when his arm passed right through it with a flash of red light and he caught hold of Kat's arm. Kat tried to rip her arm out of his grip but he held fast, and she gritted her teeth as she felt his nails digging into her skin.

"Now God shall pass judgment on you," he said, just before his arm started to glow.

Kat reacted instinctively. Using her free hand, she placed it over his and activated her alchemy. She felt pain shoot through her arm and screamed.

Almost at the same time, not a moment too soon, his arm became caked in a layer of ice and he released her with a cry of pain, stumbling backwards.

Kat looked down at her arm hanging uselessly at her side. It was damaged, but thankfully still intact.

The fleeing group froze at the sound of Kat's scream before turning around and dashing back to where they left her. They found her standing in front of the man with her left arm dangling uselessly at her side.

"Kat!" Elly shouted, seeing her friend injured. Al jumped in to help her out while Elly grabbed onto her from behind and dragged her back toward Dr. Marcoh.

"I have a special attack made just for you," the man said, placing his right hand against Al's body making a good chunk of it shatter.

"AL! NO!!" Ed shouted, running in to help and attacking the Ishbalan out of anger. The man grabbed onto Ed's automail and shattered it, much as he had Al's body.

Elly saw this happening, wondering whether to help them or stay and protect Kat like she promised.

"I'll help her don't worry," Dr. Marcoh told her, taking out the small red stone he had.

Kat clutched her arm tightly, trying not to think about the pain. She watched as Marco placed the red stone over her arm and it began to glow. Slowly, the pain began to ebb away.

Elly nodded her understanding and looked up just in time to see Ed with Al shouting at him and the Ishbalan stretching out his hand to place on Ed's head.

"STOP IT!" she shouted, ramming into the man's body, knocking him to the ground and standing in front of Ed, arms stretched out. "That's enough. Mat wouldn't have wanted you going around killing people. Especially not for revenge," she said, her hands shaking.

Scar's eyes widened and, for a few moments, he was frozen in place. But then his eyes narrowed again. "Do not speak as if you understand the desires of others!" He grabbed her roughly by the shoulder and tossed her against the alley wall.

"Stop it!" Ed shouted. "It's me you want right?"

"Brother! What are you saying?"

Once Marcoh was finished, Kat was able to lift her arm and move it around normally again. "Thank you. Now help them." She looked to see Edward kneeling on the ground with Scar's hand on his head, Al screaming at him.

Elly shook herself and glanced up just in time to see Scar's arm begin to glow, but he pulled away from Ed in pain.

Scar looked up and saw that Marcoh had the little red stone in his hand. They exchanged a few words before Marcoh threw the stone at Scar where it hit his hand, making him shout out in even more pain. Then it sank into his hand and he turned around and made a break for it. He didn't get very far before he ran into Colonel Mustang and his group. Scar took one look at them and put his arm to the ground making a large hole that he escaped into.

"Don't follow him," Roy told Jean, who was kneeling right next to the hole.

"Damnit, I was about to jump in," Havoc said wryly.

Kat got up from the ground and checked to make sure both brothers were okay before she made her way towards Elly. "Hey… you alright?"

Elly nodded her head, unable to form any words at the moment. Then she looked at Kat and the look on her face made her add something to her nod. "Yeah…I'm doing alright. Don't worry about me," she told her with a sad smile.

Kat gave her friend a light squeeze on the shoulder before going over to where she saw Roy and his men gathered, including her brother.

"Kat!" Hughes said brightly upon seeing his sister approach. "Glad to see you're alive."

"That's not funny, Hughes," Roy said with a frown.

"Right, sorry just trying to lighten the mood."

Hawkeye then appeared, followed shortly by Fuhrer Bradley's secretary, informing Roy that they were taking Marcoh into private custody. Roy looked uncomfortable with this but agreed.

Marcoh put up no resistance. "Thank you both," he said to Kat before getting into the car and being taken away.

"I'm sorry, sir," Kat said to Roy softly, not looking at him.

"You two did a good job," Roy told her before turning toward his car and heading back to headquarters.

"So where is Elly?" Hughes asked as he watched Roy leave.

"Right over there," Kat said, pointing.

"Well, let's get everyone loaded into cars and haul 'em back to headquarters," Hughes said, patting her on the shoulder.

"Alright." Kat managed to drag Elly to the car that her brother was driving while the Elric brothers rode with Armstrong.

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CM: Wow, talk about your close calls. Anyway, tell me what you think! Pretty please!


	4. Recalling the Painful

CM: Sorry for not updating this story in a while. I figured no one was interested so I wasn't going to continue it, but since a couple people have taken interest (finally), I decided to continue it for their sakes. So enjoy! ^_^

_**Chapter Four: Recalling the Painful**_

Once they got back, Kat and Elly were sitting in a room with the two brothers as well as all of Roy's group where Armstrong was offering to fix up Al, flexing his muscles all the while.

"So where's Colonel Ego?" Elly asked getting her old attitude back.

"That's none of your business," Mustang said as he walked into the room. "And I would suggest showing proper respect to an officer."

"Oh, sorry I didn't see you there," Elly amended. Upon listening to the conversation, consisting of much Edward bashing, Ed revealed that he and Al would go back to their hometown for repairs. Roy thought it best that the boys have protection but one by one each of the people in the room declined until Armstrong eagerly volunteered.

"Stop treating us like children!" Edward shouted.

"Geez, do you all have to be so rough on them?" Kat asked. "They've been through enough as it is."

"Kat's got a point," Elly said standing up. "They just got pieces of them blasted off I think it would be best to give them a break. However, I do agree that it would be best if they had someone with them…at least until they get themselves put back together."

"Well, since you both seem to have grown so attached to them, you can go along as well," Roy said with a light smile.

Kat stared at him with a weary smile. Neither she nor Elly had gotten a wink of sleep last night. "Something tells me either you really don't like having me around or you're trying to kill me with all the assignments you keep giving me."

"Not at all, this is merely a sign of my trust in you. I would only send those I trust on assignments such as these," Roy told her with a grin.

Elly rolled her eyes not buying a word of it, "Whatever, I don't mind going."

Kat didn't mind going with the brothers either. In fact, this would be a good chance to get to know the pair. And if Elly was fine with it, then so was she. "In that case, Colonel, I humbly accept the assignment."

Kat could have sworn she heard a chuckle escape his lips. "Glad to hear it."

"You can't treat us like kids!" Ed said in protest.

"The train leaves soon," Armstrong announced. "We better go pack our bags."

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"I understand why we have to put Al in the cargo area but couldn't it have been somewhere besides with the sheep," Elly asked as she sat with Kat, Armstrong, and Ed in one of the passenger carts.

Just then Hughes tapped on the window getting Ed's attention, "Hey there I got a message here for you from Roy."

"You mean the Colonel?" Ed asked angrily.

"He said 'don't die on my watch, you're enough trouble without the paperwork'. That's it," Hughes said. Kat couldn't help but let out a small giggle.

"Tell him, 'don't worry, there's no way I'm dying before you do you morally bankrupt colonel with a god complex'."

At that Elly burst out laughing, "That's a good one Ed. I couldn't have said it better myself."

"Oh by the way Nina was found to have shown signs of having been killed the same way as the state alchemists," Hughes added softly.

Edward looked stunned for a moment before smiling. "Thanks Hughes, now I can take him."

Hughes smiled before looking at Kat and Elly. "Remember, be safe. And stay out of trouble."

"Don't worry Lt. Colonel Hughes," Armstrong stated flexing his muscle and nearly crushing Ed. "I, Major Armstrong, shall make certain that these two young ladies shall come to no harm."

"Great, if Scar doesn't get me first Armstrong's speeches will," Elly muttered under her breath. "There really is no reason to worry Hughes, we'll be just fine."

"Yeah, later bro," Kat said giving her brother a high five through the window before the train carried them to their next destination. Little did they know that a dark skinned man with a scar on his face was not far off holding a kid's sister hostage for information of where they were headed.

The ride took a long time and Elly slept through half of it. "Man I've never seen anyone sleep like that. Does anything wake her up?" Ed asked watching as Elly slept in the most uncomfortable looking position.

She wasn't the only one. Kat was also asleep using Elly as a pillow. "They're probably tired. They've only recently returned from a previous assignment and haven't had any rest since then," Armstrong inferred.

"So what's the story behind those two?" Ed asked. "I think this is the first time I've ever seen a female state alchemist before, and to top it off, she's partners with an Ishbalan who can also use alchemy."

"Well it's not really my place to say, but I will tell you that they met completely by chance and have been traveling together as partners ever since," Armstrong explained. "Other than that there really isn't much that I know about them….except what the other soldiers have said."

"And what have they said?" Ed asked curiously.

"That Elly was a stray before she was brought to headquarters. It's also rumored that Kathleen was close to the Colonel before she became a state alchemist."

"Really? How so?" Ed asked getting curious.

"Well because the Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel Hughes have been close friends for several years now, he became acquainted with her as well. According to Hughes, Roy used to treat her like a sister himself…until she went off to school that is."

"Heh, didn't think the Colonel had such a soft spot," Ed said with a sardonic smirk. "Still, considering the Ishbalen's beliefs, it's just hard to believe that one of them could also be an alchemist. And something else has been bothering me."

"Hm? What would that be?"

"Well… when we were fighting Scar--" He didn't get beyond that, Elly's foot jerked, kicking him in his right leg.

"Ouch," Ed shouted holding his leg.

"It must have just been a sleeping twitch. Now what was it you were saying?" Armstrong asked.

"Nothing, forget it," Ed told him glancing back at Elly.

The conversation then changed to the Armstrong Family line where Armstrong went on and on and on. Edward finally got fed up with it and stood up heading for the cargo car to hang with Al.

Kat stirred awake just as she heard the compartment door slam shut. She sat up and yawned. "That was such a wonderful nap."

"I'm glad that you were able to get some rest," Armstrong said to her.

"Should we wake Elly?" Kat asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Suddenly the compartment door slammed open and Ed rushed in. In his hurry to their window, he accidentally knocked Elly onto the floor.

"What was that for midget?" Elly asked angrily from the floor.

"We've got a problem. Al must have been taken off the train at the last stop," Ed said climbing out the window.

"Hold on Edward Elric. We'll wait for the next stop and then make a trip back," Armstrong said holding onto Ed's leg.

"You know if you go jumping out the window you're only going to hurt yourself," Elly added as she stood back up.

"We don't have time to wait!" Ed shouted.

"Edward, it's important for you to be patient," Armstrong said not releasing him.

"He's right Ed," Kat said giving him a reassuring smile. "We'll find him and get him back, so don't worry."

Reluctantly, Edward agreed.

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When they made it to the station where Al was taken, the man standing guard there said that he saw Al run off.

"Are you sure you saw him *run* off?" Elly asked remembering the state he was in before.

"Yeah, he ran out that door and down the road but I couldn't tell where he was going," the guard explained.

"Right I'm going after him," Ed said turning for the door.

Armstrong caught him by the coat causing him to stop in his tracks. "You need to calm down Edward. There is no need to rush out there, we will find him and bring him back," Armstrong said reassuringly.

Edward shouted at him to leave him alone trying to get after his brother. "We know what you did at Ishbal," Ed shouted ending his rant.

This statement caused Armstrong to let go of his coat in shock and Ed dashed out the door. Elly attempted to ignore the statement and tried to busy herself with staring out the window. She couldn't stop herself from wondering about which one he had been during the massacre, however, and glanced at his face looking for some sign that he regretted what had happened.

"Major Armstrong," Kat said softly. "What DID happen?" She had heard much about the Ishbalen rebellion and even did research on it. But the most she came up with were the death counts and status reports. Whenever she had asked her brother about it, he'd tell her that it wasn't something she needed to know about and to never bring the subject up to Roy or the other state alchemists. So she had always wondered. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want," she added politely.

"It was an event that I never want to see happen again," Armstrong said sadly. "I would appreciate it if you didn't bring it up again." He turned toward the guard and asked when the next train was coming while Elly sat in one of the corners and Kat kept glancing between Armstrong and Elly with curiosity.

"The next train should be here around 7:00 tonight. If you miss that one there will be another one at noon tomorrow," the guard answered.

"Major, should we go look for them?" Kat asked.

"I shall go locate the Elric brothers," Armstrong told them. "You two stay here and wait for the next train."

Kat did a salute. "Yes sir."

Elly watched him leave, heaving a sigh as soon as she could no longer hear his footsteps. "Not to be mean to those three but I'm kind of glad to be away from them. It's actually quiet and I can finally hear myself think," Elly said leaning back against the corner wall and placing her hands behind her head.

"I dunno, I enjoy their company. You have to admit, they're very interesting people." Kat later she awoke with a start by the train whistle. Checking her watch, she saw it was almost seven. If they missed this train, they'd have to wait until tomorrow for the next.

"If those guys don't hurry up we'll miss the train," Elly said standing next to the window. "At least you're awake now," she added turning toward Kat with slightly red eyes looking as if she hadn't slept a wink. "Maybe with your help we could stall the train if we needed to."

Kat smiled. "Hehe, sorry about falling asleep on you. I guess I was a lot more tired than I thought." Just when she thought that she really would have to freeze the train on its tracks, Armstrong suddenly rushed past with the two Elric brothers on his shoulders. "I guess we can get on."

"Yeah I guess we can. They were really cutting it close though huh," Elly said stepping onto the train behind Kat.

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They made it to Raizenbul the next day and Kat marveled at the beautiful landscape. When they reached the house they introduced themselves to Pinako and Winry. They spent some time around the house chatting with everyone and getting to know their two hostesses. Once things settled down and the two were busy rebuilding Ed's arm, the two soon grew bored sitting around the house. "Major Armstrong, would it be alright if we took a walk around town, Elly and I?" Kat requested.

"I don't see why not. Yes, go and have fun while I help out here with the medical skills that have been past down the Armstrong line for generations," the major told them going into one of his rants.

"Right we'll be going then. See ya later Ed, Al," Elly said stepping out the door quickly to get away from Armstrong's tirade. They walked down the road always enjoying the scenery and momentary peace. "Wow does it feel good to get out of there," Elly commented stretching a bit.

"Haha, you really have a hard time being around people, don't you?" Kat said with a small laugh. "Though I suppose I can't really blame you." Kat stared up at the sky, curiosity weighing heavily on her mind. She remembered the days when she was little, around the time when she first met Roy. She remembered how unhappy he had seemed. And she would go to him and try to bring a smile to his face. But she always wondered what could make a person so sad…

"I don't mind being around people. I just have a hard time being around soldiers…. especially those who were in the war. I'm sure at least some of them are as sad as Marco was but unless I hear it for myself it's really hard to tell." Elly looked to the sky too, watching the clouds move by so slowly they appeared to be standing still. "It's strange how the sky stays the same no matter where you go," she said finally with a smile.

"I don't believe that in the slightest," Kat said smiling also. "If there's one thing I've learned in my life, nothing ever stays the same. You could go to the exact same place, at the exact same time of the year, day, and hour, but it won't ever be the same as the last time. It will always be different. That's the beauty of life."

Elly chuckled, "Yeah I guess you're right. Still the sky always seems to look like it's standing still to me….as if time itself has stopped in its tracks." She shook her head and started walking again, "I'll bet that sounded pretty dumb huh. Oh well, it's best to enjoy life while you have it right?"

"Definitely," Kat said with a nod. She was silent for a few moments longer. Should she ask? "Hey… Elly. I know I really shouldn't be asking but…. Do you know anything about the war in Ishbal?"

Elly stopped in her tracks, her face hidden in the shadows caused from her hair. She took several deep breaths unsure of what to say as the memory of what happened dashed through her mind. "I guess it's only fair to tell at least part of what happened," she finally said. "Let's go over by that tree to talk," she added turning toward a tree that sat just off the road in the middle of a field. When she reached it she sat down heavily, using the tree as support. "What exactly would you like to know?" she asked.

Kat sat down beside. She picked her words with caution. "I just want to know… what it was like through the eyes of someone who was there. Every time the topic comes up, people turn so grave. And when I ask about it, no one ever gives me a straight answer. I just want to know the truth." She wanted to know more about her friend, but also, she wanted to know… what brought such grief to her brother's best friend's eyes.

"To put it bluntly, that wasn't even a war…not really anyway. It was more of a slaughter than anything," Elly started. "The army came in when I was just a kid and introduced us to alchemy. The older ones said it was a sinful technique and refused to accept it. Years passed without many problems between us until a member of the army killed a child in his own home. After that everything changed. The army came in forces of great strength and all the men and some women took up any weapon they could find to fight them. We were no match for them….that was obvious from the beginning."

Kat listened intently. She could hear in her friend's voice just how painful it was recalling all of this. She had read in a report that an Ishbalen child had been "accidentally shot" thus triggering the rebellion. She continued to listen until Elly finished her story.

"For four long years I went from place to place hiding with the other children as each place was destroyed by the army. As time went on there were fewer and fewer of us that hid, until only I was left. All of my friends had been killed in crumbling building or ricocheting bullets. After four years had passed most of Ishbala was in ruin and that's when they sent in those heartless killers, the state alchemists. By that time I had finally found my two older brothers, the oldest one looking like he had lost his mind. I tried to get close to them but Mat…my oldest brother…was killed on the spot by one of the alchemists while the other one got hit in the face with a strong blow." She paused as tears started running uncontrollably down her cheeks.

Kat stared at the red headed girl in amazement. She would never have imagined she had lived such a hard life. She couldn't help but have a deep respect towards Elly for being able to endure so much and still be able to smile. Not saying anything, she scooted closer to her partner and wrapped a comforting arm around her. "I'm truly sorry. I shouldn't have… I'm sorry."

"No…it's…okay. You have….every right…to know. Besides….I guess I needed….this too," Elly said in between sobs. "Where was I? Oh yeah, my brother shouted at me to run for it so I did only to run into another soldier just around the corner. I tripped over my own feet in fear, landing hard on the ground as the soldier raised one hand. Our eyes met for a second before and explosion appeared right in front of me before I fell through the ground and hit my head. That's all I remember about the battle. If there is anything else you want to know you'll have to ask someone else."

"No… that's all I needed to know," Kat told her quietly.

*Flashback*

Kat crept tentatively down the dark hallway. Her heart was beating rapidly against her chest as she heard another moaning sound. Slowly she reached the doorway where the noises were coming from and quietly pushed the door open. Inside the room, a dark figure was tossing in their bed. "Pony boy?" She asked quietly. She moved closer to the bed, feeling a little scared seeing the person in such pain. They let out another cry. She reached the bed. "Wake up… please wake up." And she took hold of one of the hands that clutched the bed sheets in a death grip. They sat up, flinging out the arm and knocking Kat hard to the floor.

The figure sat there for a long moment panting hard and trying to erase the images that were running through his head. After several minutes he noticed Kat lying on the floor groaning from the pain. "Kathleen? What are you doing in here?" he asked getting up and going to help her up.

"I… I was worried about you," Kat said trembling. "You were making noises in your sleep."

The man's dark eyes stared down at the frightened child. "I see. I'm sorry I woke you. You don't have to worry, I'm fine now."

Kat stared up at him and it made her sad to see him look so unhappy. She moved forward and wrapped her arms around his torso, taking the man by surprise. "I don't want you to be sad, Pony Boy… Cause when you're Fuhrer and people see you sad, they'll be sad too."

"Thanks, but I'll be just fine. You don't need to worry about me," Roy told her ruffling her hair. "Now go back to sleep."

Kat didn't want to leave him alone but she didn't want to disobey him either so she reluctantly let him go. "I promise, one day I'll be a state alchemist too and join the army. That way you won't ever be lonely anymore. And I can be there whenever you need me."

"Yeah yeah whatever. Just get back to bed or your brother is going to be mad at me," Roy told her rolling his eyes but smiling nonetheless. He watched as she left the room, then he laid back down to sleep once again.

*End Flashback*

He may have forgotten, but she never would….

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CM: Awwww... sadness. Well no worries, the next chapter is gonna be all grins and giggles. Stay tuned!


	5. Battle of the Elements

_**Chapter Five: Battle of the Elements**_

"Wow Ed," Kat said in admiration when she saw Ed step out with his new arm and leg. "I've got to say I'm impressed. They really did a magnificent job fixing you up."

"Heh, thanks," he said with a smirk. "Now it's Al's turn." They got his brother set up along with all of the pieces of his armor. Kat watched as Ed used his alchemy and in just mere seconds Al was back together again.

"That's pretty nifty," Elly commented. "I think it would be useful if everyone could fix themselves with alchemy…unfortunately that's not the case."

"I agree that this would be useful but I wouldn't wish it on anyone," Al replied looking down at his hands.

"Of course not. So now what are you guys going to do?" Elly asked curiously.

"We're gonna do a little sparring," Ed told them all. "Our teacher told us that training the body helps train the mind, so every now and then Al and I have sparring matches."

"Wow, that actually sounds like fun," Kat said with a smile. "Hey Elly, you wanna go at it?"

"Sure why not, it's been a long time since I've done any practice besides alchemy that is. Think fast," Elly said throwing a quick punch.

In a flash, Kat side stepped the attack. She gave a grin and pivoted around before aiming a kick at the red head. The two went at it while the Elric brothers did their own sparring. "Heh, I've got to say, this is probably the first time I've actually seen you go hand-to-hand," Kat said, blocking a kick aimed for her ribs.

"Well when I wasn't using alchemy how else did I get around?" Elly asked blocking an attack to her head before throwing a kick to the stomach. "I've never seen you go hand-to-hand either though. When did you learn to do that?"

"While attending school, I was taking other classes that my brother never knew about," Kat said with a grin. "I learned a lot over those few years. Had to keep myself busy, you know?"

"Coolness. You aren't holding back are you?" Elly asked somewhat frustrated.

Kat just smiled, not answering. They continued their little sparring match until they heard a loud thud and Kat looked over to see that Ed and Al had completely floored Major Armstrong. "Haha, looks like our DLFs got the better of the Major."

"DLFs?" Al asked in confusion.

"Dear little friends," Kat said smiling and a nerve twitched on Ed's forehead.

"Yeah your right, that's pretty neat. I didn't think that midget man over there could ever get the better of the Major," Elly said grinning.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SHORT PERSON WHO CAN'T BE SEEN WITHOUT A MICROSCOPE?" Ed shouted rushing at her.

"I didn't say that, but that works just as well," Elly replied dodging Ed's attack with ease.

Kat grabbed Ed from behind so as to keep him from trying to go at Elly again and pulled him into a hug. "Hehe, you're so adorable, Ed."

Ed turned several shades of red before squirming out of her grasp. "Hey, cut it out already!"

"Hehe, relax. I actually have to congratulate you two. Holding your own against Colonel Mustang and Major Armstrong is a big accomplishment. I'll never forget when Elly and I had to fight with those two."

"Heh, yeah me neither. I don't think I could ever forget my alchemy exchange with the major," Elly agreed smiling. "That was one heck of a fight....not to mention extremely tough."

"Wait a minute, so you both fought with them?" Ed said, forgetting his anger.

Kat nodded with a smile. "Yep, most fun I ever had."

"But why?" Al asked.

"Well, it's kind of an interesting story, true story in fact..."

*FLASHBACK*

"Battle assessment?" Kat stood staring at her brother while Elly stood off to the side listening.

"Yes, every alchemist goes through some sort of an assessment once a year. This year yours will be a battle assessment," King Bradly explained with a smile. "Of course you won't be the only one going through it, Elly will be taking one as well."

"WHAT? Why do I have to take one if I'm not a state alchemist?" Elly shouted angrily.

"Please settle down," Bradly said gently. "Even though you're not a state alchemist, I've heard tell that you always accompany Lt. Kathleen Hughes when she goes on her missions for the state. I know it seems unfair, but the fact that you've become closely involved with Miss Kathleen cannot be ignored. Therefore, we ask that you do this simple task, and then you can go back to doing whatever you like afterwards."

"I really don't see why I have to. Just because I'm getting close to Kat doesn't mean that you have to check my strength....unless there's an alternative reason," Elly said raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you got me," Bradly said with a chuckle. "I admit, I wouldn't mind seeing the two young women who have been making names for themselves in action. I ask that you both do your best."

"I will, Fuher Bradly sir," Kat said with a salute. "Though, I have no right to decide that for my partner."

"What is your answer, Miss Elly?" Bradly asked her.

"I don't suppose you'd take no for an answer would you?" Elly asked with a sigh.

The Furher's smile widened. "As I said before, do your best. I expect you'll both give us all here at Eastern quite a show. You'll both be fighting against state alchemists of higher ranking, but I have confidence in you both."

"Thank you, sir," Kat said bowing her head. "If I may ask.... Who are we fighting?"

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Roy Mustang let out yawn as he stretched back in his chair. He stared forlornly at the dull paperwork scattered across his desk. It was such a slow day...

Just then the phone on his desk rang and he slowly picked it up. "Hello, Colonel Mustang speaking."

"Mustang, this is King Bradly. I have a request; I need you to carry out a battle assessment for me."

Roy smiled. Finally something to get him away from his dull office work. "Of course, Fuhrer. Who's the poor, unfortunately soul?"

"Lieutenant Kathleen Hughes," Bradly answered happily. Roy nearly dropped the phone and he was silent for a moment. "Is there a problem, Colonel Mustang?" Bradly said cutting the silence.

"Of course not, sir," Roy said snapping out of his reverie. "I am honored to carry out the assessment."

"Very good," Bradly said. "The assessment will take place tomorrow first thing in the morning after breakfast. Please be prompt."

"Yes sir," Roy said before hanging up the phone. He sat back in his chair, until slowly, a small smile of amusement made its way onto his lips.

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"Great so I'm going against Armstrong and you're facing Mustang right? This is going to be a real pain in the butt. It should be a lot of fun at the same time though," Elly said smiling with amusement. They were sitting in their room preparing for the next day and their fight.

"Ehe, yeah," Kat said with a small laugh. "But gosh, going against my boss just seems kind of weird. I wonder what he thinks about it."

"If you ask me he probably thinks this will be a lot of fun," Elly answered. "He strikes me as the kind of person who would enjoy putting one of his subordinates in their place."

"That's an interesting way of putting it," Kat said with a sweat-drop. But then she laughed. "You know... I'm nervous, but I actually am excited too. Truth is, I guess I've always wanted to spar with him but I thought it would be too awkward to ask."

"Yeah I can understand what you mean. Still we're going to have a lot of fun with this," Elly said with a laugh. "I think I'll get some sleep now...since there is nothing more I can do to prepare for tomorrow. I mean really, how do you prepare to fight someone like Armstrong....especially since he's like five times my size?"

Kat let out a giggle. 'I wouldn't worry too much. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would go out of his way to hurt someone." She climbed into bed snuggling with her stuffed tiger that her brother had given to her for her birthday. "I say tomorrow, we show them what we're really made of."

"Yeah right....especially since no one's ever seen us actually fight," Elly agreed. "I can't wait to see the look on their faces."

With that thought she turned over and went to sleep. The next morning she awoke with a start noticing that it was 4:00 in the morning. "Man I didn't want to get up that early. I can't go back to sleep either. Now what am I going to do?"

Kat, being a light sleeper on occasion, stirred awake and looked over to see Elly sitting up right in bed. She yawned before sitting up herself. "What are you doing up so early for? Usually I'm up before you."

"Yeah I know. For some reason I woke up this early and now I can't go back to sleep. I think I might just be really excited about today's fight."

"Hehe, I don't know what you're so worked up about," Kat said with a smile. "I've haven't seen you lose a fight yet."

"I know...maybe it's the prospect of fighting a state alchemist. I've always held some resentment for them so I guess this is my one chance to take a shot at one and not get in trouble for it."

Kat laughed once more. "I sometimes love the way you look at things. Makes me wish I could be that outgoing when it comes to battle sometimes."

"No...I really wish I didn't have this resentment. I wish I could look at people the way you do...you know giving them a fighting chance. I guess that's just the way things are though," Elly said smirking and shaking her head. "To be honest I don't think I'd ever look at fight like this if I hadn't lost everything in Ishbala."

Kat nodded in understanding. "I've learned that it's just easier to forgive and forget. I know that's an easy enough thing to say coming from someone like me, but I've found that holding on to grudges only causes more pain. And being sad and angry is no fun either. It only makes the people around you worry. That's why I try to always be happy whenever I can."

"Yeah I know, I've tried my hardest not to hold a grudge against the army...I think that's why I've been able to work with the army as long as I have with out much trouble. It is hard sometimes to keep it all inside though," Elly added. "Oh well no since sitting around here doing nothing. I might as well do some last minute prep since I can't get to sleep."

Kat nodded. "I'll join you. I want to prove that I can hold my own on the field, not just to the Colonel, but to everyone at Eastern. Plus, I want to prove that to myself."

"I thought you already proved that with every mission we managed to accomplish...especially the ones that didn't take a whole lot of effort," Elly said giving her friend a slap on the back.

"Hehe, yeah, well this time everyone can see it with there own eyes what we can really do." The two trained for three hours straight taking the occasional break and having a bite of breakfast. They made sure not to do too much so as not to tire themselves out. "My brother said Havok would be coming to pick us up," Kat mentioned to Elly. "Normally he would have but he has to help get things set up for the assessment."

"No problem," Elly said smiling. "A rides a ride...even if it is Havok. After all it beats walking." As soon as Havok arrived Elly got in the back seat relaxing her self completely.

"So, you guys looking forward to your matches?" Havok asked as he drove them.

"A little anxious, but other than that, I am looking forward to it," Kat said with a smile.

"Heh, going up against the Flame, not something anyone would be too thrilled about. But I doubt he'll be too hard on you. Same goes for you and Armstrong, Elly. You both have nothing to worry about."

"I never said I was worried," Elly said with a frown. "I'm actually looking forward to it. I can't wait to see what I can really do. My skills have never been really tested before."

"You're not the only one," Havok said with a grin. "Everyone has been buzzing about it since last night."

"Really?" Kat said in surprise.

"You bet. Everyone has been curious about seeing the Ice Cold Alchemist and her partner in combat. And considering your opponents, people are even more excited. Don't let us down, okay?" He said turning and giving them both an encouraging smile.

Kat nodded. "You don't even have to ask."

They chatted about random things for the remainder of the trip, and once they arrived at their destination they fully understood what Havok meant. There were soldiers everywhere, excitement filled the air, and over in the center of the excitement was a large area cleared out completely for the fights. "Wow, this is incredible...with all this excitement I'm starting to get butterflies in my stomach," Elly said as she got out of the car.

"Oh wonderful! You both made it just in time!" Hughes said with delight. "Hurry up Kat, your fight is first. Havok, take Elly with you to watch until it's her turn."

Jean gave a nod. "You got it."

Kat gave Elly one last look saying 'wish me luck' before being dragged off by her brother into the ring where Roy Mustang already stood.

"Wow we get front row seats to this fight too," Elly exclaimed leaning over the rope that marked where the fight area was.

"Alright...Colonel, Lieutenant. Do either of you have anything to say before we begin?" Hughes asked.

"Oh" Kat said raising her arm and Hughes went over to her. She took the microphone and spoke into it.

"Hey fellas?"

"Yeah?" Several guys in the crowd answered.

"What's cooler than being cool?"

"ICE COLD," they answered with cheers.

"I wonder how much she had to pay them to say that," Breda remarked.

"Absolutely nothing," Havok answered with a smirk. "Kat just has a way of making fast friends."

"So cute," Hughes nearly squealed. Then he went over to Roy. "Does the Flame have any response to that?"

"Don't get overconfident Lieutenant Kathleen....or this fight is going to be over really quick," Roy said with a smirk.

Kat grinned at the Colonel's remark. Despite what he said about being cocky, she was just excited. "Let's have a fun match, alright?" The Colonel said nothing, but continued to smile.

"Alright then...begin the match," Hughes said before hopping over the rope.

And on the word 'go', Kat was ready. She stretched out her hand and a spiral of water came rushing out of nowhere towards her opponent. At the same exact time Roy had raised his hand and snapped his fingers sending a burst of flame into Kat's direction. The two collided and there was a burst of steam that covered the entire battle field causing both fighters to momentarily become unseen. Kat used the fog as her cover making her way behind the colonel before making an L shape with her finger and thumb and took a shot; not hard enough to kill him of course.

The shot missed him, of course, and Mustang retaliated with a blast of fire from his hand sending it straight for her chest.

Kat crossed her hands in front of her and a thick sheet of ice formed in front of her taking the brunt of his attack. Most of it managed to hold and she retaliated with another hand movement and the bits of fog condensed into shards of ice shooting straight at the Flame.

Roy turned the ice shards to steam while moving quickly and ended up right behind her. He snapped his fingers, throwing a burst of flame at her back. "You're too slow," he said as he attacked.

"Wow, the Colonel isn't pulling any punches is he?" Fury asked watching the battle.

"Yeah, you'd think Kat being a childhood friend of his, he would go a little easy on her," Breda said.

"The fact that he knows her so well is the reason why he's not going easy on her," Havok said smiling. "That would be an insult to her wouldn't you think?"

Kat managed to dodge roll his attack. "Sorry, just getting into the swing of things," Kat said smiling placing her hands on the ground. Roy was about to make another fire shot when the ground beneath him suddenly rumbled and a geyser of water burst from the earth between him and the Ice Cold alchemist.

"That was a good shot, though you might want to watch where you are pulling that from," Mustang said moving into position to fire again. He snapped his fingers but nothing happened, his glove was completely soaked leaving no chance to spark a flame.

"Looks like the Colonel forgot about what happens when his gloves get wet…again," Hawkeye said shaking her head.

And that's when Kat's hand shot out and touched the wet glove transmuting the water inside the fabric into solid dry ice. Roy moved back away from her and watched as his glove of ice cracked and shattered apart leaving a bare hand. "You know, you really should learn to cool it, Roy," Kat said with a smile.

He looked stunned for a couple seconds before grinning and pulling his other hand out of his pocket. "When getting rid of your opponent's weapon…make sure they don't have a back draft," Roy said releasing another spout of flames.

Thankfully, Kat's reflexes were top notch and she fell backwards allowing the flame to travel over her before doing a backwards summersault and getting back on her feet again. She wanted to kick herself for thinking that he would be so careless as to let both of his gloves get wet. And chances were he would not let the same thing happen twice. Kat placed both hands on the ground and the water she had conjured up out of the ground creating a mini tsunami directed at Roy.

Roy looked at the tsunami heading for him and gathered together the molecules in the air forming a large fire blast that collided with the tsunami sending steam into the air all over the place. What happened next was a complete surprise; clouds formed together and lightning streaked across the sky.

"Wow what's going on?" Fulman asked.

"I think what happened was the amount of hot and cold air colliding together caused a chain reaction in the weather making a thunder storm," Fury explained.

"Oh, that's really weird. I just hope it doesn't start raining," Fulman exclaimed.

Roy also noticed that the weather could soon turn against his favor. "Looks like I might have to end this sooner than I would have liked," Roy remarked before he began bombarding Kat with multiple flame shots.

Kat, seeing that the Colonel was not about to let her win easily, began making her way towards him, zigzagging and using ice to block some of the more closer shots. Then Roy did a more elaborate snap of his finger and Kat stared in awe as a monstrous flame dragon formed.

"Get too close to fire, and you'll get burned," Roy said and the dragon soared through the air towards her. Kat knew she only had seconds. She ran the last few feet towards Roy before reaching him. From there, all the spectators could see was the dragon crashing down and a great explosion causing much dirt and debris to go flying out in all directions.

"Who won?" Havok shouted. The other soldiers were also shouting in surprise and awe. They were all trying to figure out what happened and if the fight was over.

"It's obvious isn't it? The Colonel is the winner," Breda said trying to see through the smoke and debris.

"Of course the Colonel won….he wouldn't be defeated by anyone," Hawkeye declared proudly.

"Why don't you all quit bickering and just watch the fight," Elly said her knuckles white as she tightly gripped the blockade.

Kat meanwhile was on the ground coughing dust out of her lungs. "Geez, that was cutting it a little too close," she muttered and was about to get back up again, but found Roy Mustang's hand hovering inches away from her face, his fingers poised to snap.

"I think this battle has been decided. Though I must say, you didn't perform too badly." He smirked and then added, "For a girl."

Imagine his surprise when instead of getting upset at the comment, she instead smiled and said, "You really shouldn't move."

Roy was surprised by her comment. "And why is that, Lieutenant?" Suddenly there was a shattering noise and to everyone's shock, Roy Mustang's pants fell down revealing boxer's with doggy bone print on them.

"THAT'S why," Kat said doing her best to keep from laughing. "No matter how sunny it looks, Colonel, you should always be prepared for a cold snap."

By this time the cloud of dust had dissipated showing the result of the fight to all the onlookers. "I don't believe it," Hawkeye said surprised.

"I told you not to underestimate my sister," Hughes declared happily.

"That's a real surprise, I never thought this would end in a draw," Havok said lighting another cigarette.

"I didn't know that the Colonel wore doggy bone boxers," Fulman said trying hard not to laugh.

"Well the age old question has now been answered. Is Mustang a boxers or briefs kind of guy," Elly snickered trying not to burst out laughing.

"I think we've seen enough," Bradly said chuckling. Kat was currently dusting herself off as Roy attempted to pull his pants up as quickly as he could.

"Well that was fun," Kat said cheerfully. "We should do that more often."

"You might just have another…..chance in the very near future, Lieutenant Hughes," Roy said with an evil glimmer in his eye.

"Alright Elly, it's your turn now," Hughes said suddenly climbing back into the arena.

"Good luck Elly," Havok told her patting her on the back. "Hey you going to be alright? You looked a little pale there for a bit."

"Yeah I'm just fine. There is no need to worry about me Havok, I know how to look after myself."

As Kat passed her friend to exit to ring, she stopped and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Blow him away, Elly," she said with a grin, and then walked on by to join the others who congratulated her on her semi-victory against the Colonel.

Elly walked into the arena and glanced over at Mustang feeling a pang of fear and anger at the same time. "This is stupid," she thought to herself angrily. "There's no point in getting mad about it now…especially since I found that he really isn't such a bad guy." With that she continued walking over to where Hughes and Armstrong stood waiting for her.

"Okay," Hughes shouted into the microphone. "Now that we've been dazzled and chilled, it's time for the match between Major Armstrong and the durable, wonder of wind, Elly!" After the noise in the crowd died down Hughes went on, "Do the fighters have any words they would like to share before we get started?"

"No just make sure everybody stays back Hughes, I wouldn't want any of them to get hurt by accident," Elly said narrowing her eyes and grinning.

"All right Elly, let us make this a marvelous battle," Armstrong said tearing off his shirt and flexing his pecks. "This style of fighting has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations."

"If your techniques don't get to me Major then your dumb speeches definitely will," Elly added.

"Children should learn to respect their elders," Armstrong exclaimed before powering up his fist and slamming down into the ground creating a stream of earth to shoot up from his hand and making its way towards Elly.

Elly quickly slammed her hands to the ground turning Armstrong's attack into harmless sand. She stood up and grinned, "You'll have to do a lot better than that Major." Then she placed one hand on the ground and the other in the air. "Try this one on for size." Suddenly the wind picked up and the sand that she just created formed into a very large sand storm. Its size continued to grow and the wind started sucking up just about everything in its path.

Most of the people watching had to close their eyes as sand was blasted in their faces. "Isn't she taking this a little too far?" Breda shouted over the wind.

"That's just Elly for you," Kat remarked with a smirk and she shielded her face but continued to watch with interest.

Armstrong, being a very sturdy man, was able to hold his footing. "Most impressive, Elly. But sometimes even the strongest storms can be tempered by interference." And he used both arms to punch the ground and a large pillar of earth to burst through the tunnel of wind, interfering with the currents and causing it to die away.

Elly grinned, "I didn't really think that would do much to you Major…I was just showing off a bit. You won't be able to get away from this so easily though." With that she placed her hands on the ground once more and caused a tsunami of sand to appear solidifying slightly as it rose and approached Armstrong.

Everyone watched breathless with anticipation as the Major cracked his knuckles. He once more punched the ground and a huge blocked of earth shot up and blocked the sand. Drawing back his right arm he punched the wall and to crashed through the sand towards the girl. Many people who were in the stands behind Elly ran for their lives.

Elly saw the wall just in time launch herself out of the way. She didn't stop there, however, taking the opportunity of Armstrong's temporary blindness she rushed into the storm and began fighting him with hand to hand combat. This fight was blocked from the onlookers as the sand was still around them blocking all vision.

"What's going on in there?" Breda asked anxiously.

"Who knows with those two," Fury responded. Then the dust cleared and they saw to their surprise Elly standing with one hand close to the Major's throat. The two fighters were frozen in place not moving.

"How's that major?" she asked smiling.

"Not bad….just make sure to always watch where your opponent is," Armstrong replied with a smile as a trickle of blood slid down his neck.

"Holy crap!" Breda exclaimed.

"Oh my…" Fury said looking as if he might faint. "I honestly can't tell who's scarier, Ice Cold or her partner."

"I'd say Elly won THAT one," Havok remarked but was smiling none the less.

Kat was also grinning. "Why do you think I chose her as my partner?"

Elly was grinning broadly before a sharp pain exploded in her side. She looked down and saw that Armstrong had his fist planted firmly into her gut. "I actually thought I won that one," Elly grimaced grabbing her side as Armstrong moved his fist.

"That's why I said to always know your opponent's location," Armstrong said smiling.

"So you won huh?" she asked trying very hard to stay standing.

"No, I'd call that a tie. After all this way of ending a fight has been…" Armstrong began.

"Passed down the Armstrong line for generations," Elly finished rolling her eyes.

Everyone stood in silence for a moment until the Fuhrer stood up and began clapping. Slowly everyone followed until it broke out into a tumult of cheering. King Bradly went to the center of the battle field where Elly and Armstrong stood and beckoned to Kat to come join them. She did so and Fuhrer Bradly's voice rose over the crowd. "I would like to personally congratulate Miss Katherine Hughes and her friend Elly in passing their first battle assessments. What we've seen today we shall not forget for many years to come."

"Thanks, King Bradly. So now that the assessments are over what are we doing?" Elly asked finally getting her breath back and standing up straight.

"Now you four are going to clean up this battle area. Have fun," Bradly said walking away.

"WHAT? SO YOU HAD US GO THROUGH THOSE BATTLES JUST TO HAVE US CLEAN UP AFTERWARDS?" Elly shouted after him.

Before she could say anything else, Kat leapt forward and clamped a hand over Elly's mouth, muffling her continued tirade. "No worries," Armstrong said striking a pose and flexing his muscles. "We'll have this area spotless in no time!"

Elly's tirade suddenly stopped and she glanced over at Armstrong, irritation permeating her entire being. "Well the sooner we get started the sooner we'll have it done," Mustang muttered walking up behind them with irritation on his face as well. Elly's emotion changed again when she heard Mustang's voice. Her body became rigid and her breathing got quicker as beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. "Right….I'm going over there," Elly gasped walking to the opposite end of the arena, not wanting to be in the line of fire. (feel free to laugh)

"I shall assist you," Armstrong stated before following her.

Kat slowly turned and smiled weakly at the Colonel. "Hehe… well, I guess we'd better get started, huh?" She said with a nervous laugh walking quickly past him. "Don't want to be here all night." Then, for some strange and unfathomable reason that she could never understand from that day on, a notion struck her and she mentioned, "But I would have thought you'd have horses instead of doggy bones."

A vein twitched in his forehead but he kept his cool. "You know, Lieutenant, if you want to keep your job you may want to not tick off your superior officers. Plus, if you ever bring that up again I will make sure that you are out of the army for good, even if Hughes objects."

Kat suddenly felt as if the bottom of her stomach had fallen out. But strangely she found, it wasn't the threat of losing her job that made her blood suddenly run cold, but the bitterness that underlined the Colonel's words. "I'm sorry, sir," she said staring down at the ground, and she truly meant it. Roy frowned wondering if she was being serious or was simply pulling the wool over his eyes.

On the other side Elly stood in a large area of destruction and tried to determine how to go about fixing it. She had just decided when Major Armstrong leveled out a nearby area; then he stood up and shouted, "This type of fixing has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations."

Elly blanched and turned on him, "COULD YOU DO ONE THING WITHOUT SAYING THAT IT WAS A TECHNIQUE PASSED DOWN YOUR LINE FOR GENERATIONS?" Then she turned back to her work and with great force she leveled out her enormous area accidentally manipulating some of the area underneath Kat and Roy. "Sorry," she shouted sheepishly.

The movement in the earth had pitched Kat forward and Roy caught her in his arms on impulse. He was about to ask if she was alright so that he could shove her off of him, when he saw to his immense surprise, a single tear had trailed down her cheek. Finding her footing, Kat quickly moved out of his arms and turned away from him.

"Thanks… Sorry about that." She turned back to him and the usual cheerful smile was back on her face, almost causing him to wonder if he had imagined the tear or not. "I guess I really should be more careful, huh?"

Roy stared at her for a few moments before sighing. "Let's just get this cleaning over with. I have a job to do and so do you."

Kat felt a warm relief spread through her and she responded with an enthusiastic, "Yes sir!"

Elly saw the little moment and grinned to herself, "So she does have a thing for Mustang….what a nice little turn of events." It didn't take much longer before the rest of the arena to be fixed up and they headed back to central.

*End Flashback*

"Wow you guys really took on the Major and Colonel Mustang and almost won?" Al asked in surprise. "You must really be good."

"You guys ain't seen nothing," Elly exclaimed with a smile.

"I just wished I could have seen the Colonel get pantsed," Ed snickered.

"If I remember correctly, your fight with Colonel Mustang was cut short, wasn't it?"

"I'M NOT SMALL," Ed raved and Kat couldn't help but laugh.

"You both are so adorable. I don't think I would've minded having you guys as siblings," Kat said with a whimsical smile.

"Would you stop making fun of us?" Ed said viciously.

"Who's making fun? I'm being honest here," Kat said genuinely. "I think of you both as family, and I think the two people inside that house feel the same way."

"To be honest I too feel like you guys are siblings. I never had younger brothers before and I lost my whole family so having someone to look out for is a nice change," Elly replied ruffling Ed's hair.

"Guy's it's time for dinner," Winrey called from the house.

"Coming Winrey," Ed answered.

They all went inside and enjoyed a wonderful dinner and talked and laughed about childhood stories of when Ed and Al were little.

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CM: OMG, have you ever heard so many puns in your life? Hope you all enjoyed it! Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	6. Returning to One's People

_**Chapter Six: Returning to One's People**_

After dinner, and when it was time for bed, Kat climbed up onto the rooftop and relaxed, staring up at the sky. It was so full of stars she was almost blinded by it. They didn't have skies like this back in the city.

"Having a break while you still can?" Elly asked climbing up and sitting next to her. "This is a beautiful sky after all, you can actually see practically all the stars."

Kat smiled over at her. "Yeah, it seems like every time we're done with a job we just get assigned a new one." She looked back up at the sky. The two sat in peaceful silence for a time until a question came to Kat's mind. "Hey Elly? I've been wondering… when we told those two that story, I remembered something that I hadn't really registered until now. Why were you glaring at Colonel Mustang after my fight with him?"

"Was I glaring at him?" Elly asked trying to remember what she did that day.

"Yeah, you looked angry and… well, a little scared I guess," Kat said, then shrugged. "But maybe it was just my imagination."

"Oh yeah," Elly said laughing to herself. "I was a little scared right there though I never thought I showed it on my face." She lied down on the roof looking through to the stars remembering that day. "I was terrified of the Colonel after that fight for one reason and one reason only. You remember what I told you about the Ishbalan war right?" Kat nodded and Elly continued. "Well the last alchemist that I saw snapped his fingers to trigger his attack. When I saw your fight with Mustang that was the first time I saw him fight; and I noticed that every time he attacked he snapped his fingers." She paused for a moment to let what she was saying sink in. "In other words the alchemist who attacked me that day was none other than Colonel Roy Mustang."

Kat could hardly believe what her friend was telling her, yet at the same time she didn't doubt her friend's words. Finally she said, "Does he know?"

"Honestly I don't know if he does. After all he did kill many Ishbalan's during that fight so I'd doubt he would remember one face…especially since he probably only glimpsed me for a split second before the explosion occurred," Elly explained scratching her head. "It doesn't really matter to me if he remembers or not. The fact that he feels sorry about what happened and is trying to live with that guilt is reason enough for me to just drop it."

Kat smiled. "I'm glad you think that. I just wish he would see it that way." She sighed before closing her eyes. "One more question…. Do you know who Scar is?"

Elly froze, her body going completely rigid as she heard what the question was. "Y-Yeah I know Scar. I guess hearing me shout at him like that kind of gave it away huh."

"Sorry, if you don't want to talk about it that's fine," Kat said quickly feeling like she had trotted on personally territory.

"That's fine. I've already told you about him anyway," Elly said. She took a deep breath and laid it all down. "Scar is the brother that had a bomb go off in his face. I'll bet that's where he got that big scar. Mat, the name I said to him, was my other brother. He was killed right in front of us, having done nothing to fight back." Tears were rushing down her face now and she forcefully wiped them away to keep Kat from noticing.

Kat pretended not to notice her friend's attempt to hide her tears by continuing to stare straight up at the sky. She didn't say anything, because she knew that no words could bring her brother back to her. What would she do if she lost Maes? She didn't even want to think about it. Slowly, she lifted up her hand as if she was about to make an attempt to grab a star from the sky. "You know…. I'm really glad we met."

"Why's that? So you could have pet while in the army?" Elly asked attempting a joke.

Kat shook her head. "Because, I think you and I are kind of the same. Even though I don't know what it's like to lose someone close to me, when I first met you, I just felt something, and I knew that in time, nothing could tear us apart."

"Hmm….I guess you're right. I'm really sorry about what happened back there, I really should have stepped in there to help then maybe Ed and Al wouldn't have been in such bad shape and you wouldn't have hurt your arm," Elly told her apologetically.

"Hey, it's okay," Kat said with a grin as she flexed the fingers of the arm she had held up. "It all got fixed in the end, so no harm done." She lowered her arm back down to her side. "Just don't tell the Colonel I got hurt. I don't need him thinking any less of me than he already does."

"No worries about that, I don't want Hughes to be on me like a hound. Especially after I told him I'd make sure you got back in one piece," Elly said snickering. "You hear that? It sounds like Ed and Al finally went to bed. You want to listen in on their conversation?"

Kat's smile grew in length. "Sure."

The two creeped to the edge of the roof that was directly over the Elric brothers' window. "LOOK AT THE STARS. Blah blah blah…" Was basically what Elly was hearing.

Kat giggled. "My, he does carry on, doesn't he?"

"I'm tired of listening to this guy ramble," Elly said rolling her eyes. Then she took the lead and hung over the edge upside down. "Hey guys what cha lookin' at?" she asked grinning through the window.

"WAAAH," Ed, Al and Armstrong shouted each at a different level of fright.

Kat laughed so hard she almost fell from her hanging position. "What are you trying to do give us heart attacks," Ed shouted opening the window.

"You guys got us good, I was really surprised," Al told them.

"We were bored," Kat said sticking her tongue out playfully.

"That and I didn't want to continue listening to Armstrongs tirade," Elly said flipping herself back upright. "Well I don't know about you guys but I'm about ready to go to bed."

"Same here," Kat said. "After all, tomorrow we'll be at Central."

"How long are you two planning on sticking around?" Ed asked them.

"Well, that's the thing. We're never sure."

"Exactly, I mean usually after we finish one mission we get called out for another mission. Just like this last time we didn't get a break until we got on that train, you know how quickly we fell asleep."

"Well, I guess we'll see you tomorrow morning," Kat waved before she and Elly went back to bed.

The next day they headed out for Central after a bon farewell to Winrey and Pinako. "Well now we're headed for Central. Are you guys going to tell us why we're going there?" Elly asked putting her hands behind her head.

"We're looking for something," Ed said shortly. "That's all you need to know."

"You're looking for the philosopher's stone right?" Kat asked casually.

The two nearly stopped in their tracks. "How did you know?" Al asked her.

"I kind of overheard Roy mention it at one point, along with your name," Kat clarified.

"That and the whole finding Marco is kind of a huge hint considering the fact that he created a mock stone for the state alchemists to use during the Ishbalan war," Elly added putting a finger in her ear.

Ed's shoulders slumped. "Great, just what we need, more people in on what we're doing."

"You can trust us Ed," Kat told him. "It's not like we're rearing and raving to go out and spread the word that you're doing the 'devil's errand'."

"Yeah besides, I have no need for the stone and I don't have any reason to stop you guys from obtaining it either," Elly agreed. "Looks like we have time for a little break in our journey so if you don't mind I'm going for some cocoa." She got up from her seat and headed for the door as the train came to a stop.

"What's her problem?" Ed asked.

"I don't know but I need to make a phone call so I'll be back in a bit," Armstrong replied getting up and following Elly out the door.

"Don't take it personally," Kat told them. "Actually, some coffee sounds nice. Would you guys like anything?"

"No thanks," they said together. Kat shrugged before walking out of the room. She walked passed Armstrong to a desk where they were serving free coffee, sugar and cream. She poured herself a cup as she half listened to what Armstrong was saying.

"Yes, of course Colonel. I shall do so immediately." And he hung up the phone.

"So what's going on?" Kat asked the Major, sipping some of her beverage.

"I'm sorry but it appears you and Elly are to return to Eastern on Colonel Mustang's orders," Armstrong reported.

"Huh?" Kat said, her face falling. "But I was looking forward to seeing Maes again."

"I'll be sure to give the Lieutenant-Colonel your best regards," Major Armstrong promised.

Kat sighed. "I guess it can't be helped then. I'll go tell Elly."

"Hey Kat what's the matter? You look like someone just told you your best friend is going to leave and never come back," Elly asked concerned.

"Change of plans, Elly," Kat said heavily. "The Colonel wants us back at Eastern. The train is almost ready to leave so we better get going."

"Ah man, I knew we would be called back eventually though I wish I was wrong," Elly groaned. "Well at least we're at a train station that branches off directly to eastern. It should take us about as much time to get there as it would to get to central. Let's go say goodbye to the others and grab a ticket to Eastern."

So she and Kat said their farewells to the Elric brothers and Armstrong, wishing them luck, before boarding the train to Eastern.

"She's just so adorable!" Hughes exclaimed into the phone. "Just like my little sister! And she has the voice of an angel."

"I wonder Hughes if there is such a technique where one could send a flame through the telephone to burn the ear of the person on the other side," Roy replied getting irritated.

"I don't know I'll have one of my people look into it," Hughes answered with a laugh.

"There's another reason I called you Roy. There's that whole Scar business and then rumors of you being transferred back to central."

"Hmm, a homecoming at central, sounds like fun," Roy said smiling.

"Careful Mustang, you have some enemies in high places. My suggestion is make as many friends as you can. That's why I shall give this crucial advice." He lowered his voice in a whisper and said, "Go find yourself a wife."

"Get real!" Roy shouted, slamming the telephone down.

"Sir, don't take it out on the phone," Hawkeye said sighing.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "What is it!?" Roy shouted.

The door creaked open and Kat's voice answered. "Is this a bad time?"

"Oh Mustang, if your going to shout at the phone then we'll be taking our leave before you turn that anger of yours on us," Elly said grinning. "If you want we could come back when you're in a better mood."

"No, get in here I have another mission for the two of you," Roy replied sighing and sitting back down.

Kat pushed the door open, walking in to stand before Mustang's desk while Elly stood off to the side and casually leaned against the wall. "Yes, Colonel?"

"That was Lt. Colonel Hughes just now," Roy began. "It would seem that Scar helped burn down the library in Central. There were signs of a struggle but they've yet to find a body."

"So where does that leave us, sir?" Kat asked.

"Chances are he might be hiding out" he explained. "Also, there were sightings of a rebellion group moving through the desert. I want you both to do some searching and come back with a full report."

"What about Scar? You said there were signs of a fight at the library, what happened to him then?" Elly asked getting off the wall and staring at Mustang with worry written all over her face.

"I don't expect you to take him on directly. As capable as you both are, I'd rather not have anymore of my subordinates with their brains blown out. And I'd never hear the end of it from Hughes," Roy added with a smirk. "If you should encounter him, let me know immediately."

Kat gave a salute. "Yes sir! And sir, if I may make a request?"

"Alright, what is it?" Roy asked looking at her intently.

"After this, I'd like to spend some time in Central with Lt. Colonel Hughes," Kat said with a smile. "It's been a long time since we've actually been able to spend time together without any interruptions. And I really do miss that. I know it's asking for a lot but please give it some consideration."

"I think that would be a great idea…as long as Hughes doesn't mind," Roy answered looking at some papers on his desk. "Now I would appreciate it if the two of you left immediately."

"Sure thing Colonel, I really don't want to be here any longer anyway," Elly answered getting up and walking out the door without a backwards look.

Kat sighed and shook her head. "She'll never change."

"That's quite a thing to say coming from you," Roy said with an amused smirk.

"Yeah, and I'm not about to any time soon," Kat said with a returned grin before chasing after her partner.

"Good to know," Roy said in a low voice before going back to his paperwork.

"Right, so where exactly are these guys supposed to be anyway?" Elly asked as Kat walked out the door. "I don't mind looking for more of my people but it does help if we have a better understanding of where they are besides *the desert*."

"We'll just have to borrow a car," Kat told Elly as she led them to the garage. She checked out a set of keys before locating the vehicle the keys went to. "Just so you know, I get really nervous when I'm driving so please don't do anything that might result in us dying alright?" The funny thing was she was able to say that with a smile.

Elly shook her head, "That makes me feel so much better. If it's going to be like that than maybe I should drive." She got into the passenger seat though and immediately buckled up. Kat gave her a funny look and Elly responded, "What? If you do crash, I don't want to go flying now do I?"

Kat shook her head smiling. "It's nothing." She got in and started the car. "Alright, here we go." She shifted gears and managed to pull out of the garage, albeit a little sharply. But once they were on the road she began to relax a little. "This almost reminds me of the time I drove the Colonel to work."

"Yeah? I'll bet he was hanging on for dear life too," Elly said her knuckles going white as they gripped the seats. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Yeah, don't worry," Kat assured her with a grin. "Lucky for us there isn't much traffic but…" She stopped as she nearly missed a turn and tuned the wheel sharply. "You know what, maybe it's best just to sit back until we get out of town."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Elly muttered. They traveled in silence for a very long time until all the city buildings vanished making way for the desert. "Are we there yet?" Elly asked holding one hand over her mouth.

"Sorry, I'm really trying to break the swerving habit," Kat apologized. She turned on the radio and turned the station over to some music. "I just hope we're able to finish this job soon. My niece's birthday is in a few days and I want to be there. She's turning four you know."

"Good for her," Elly replied. She continued to keep her eyes closed and waited until the car slowed down. "What's going on, are we there?"

"I don't know," Kat said trying to shift gears but the clutch got stuck. "Shoot…" There was a small explosion under the hood and the car came to a steady stop, smoke pouring out of the front. "Well that's not good," Kat said getting out of the car and lifting up the hood only to cough at the amount of smoke that blew into her face. "And I'm no mechanic either."

Elly stood up and got out of the car, stumbling in the process. "By the looks of this, I'd say that the car is no longer usable," Elly told her.

"ELLY-CHAN," a voice came out of nowhere. Elly spun around to find a young child running toward her with a large grin on her face and a large group of people behind her.

Kat looked up in surprise as a group of young Ishbalen children made their way towards them. Several appeared wary. But many of them seemed to know Elly.

"Katie is that you?" Elly asked surprised.

Katie jumped into her arms shouting with joy, "You survived. Everyone thought you had died. Where have you been all this time?"

"Sorry I've been traveling around for the last couple of years. Say is your mom in there two?"

"Yep, she's been really worried about you too."

"Hey Kat come here, I want you to meet someone."

Kat started but tentatively moved around the car to stand by Elly's side. "Um, pleased to meet you," she said with a friendly smile.

"Is that a soldier?" one little boy asked in fright.

"Don't worry, she's a friend of mine and wouldn't hurt a fly," Elly said reassuringly.

"Mom would really like to see you so come on," Katie said dragging Elly toward the group. The other children walked with them though they stayed as far from Kat as they could. "Hey Mom look who's here," Katie called out.

"Elly it's so good to see you," Katie's mother said giving Elly a big hug.

"What's a soldier doing here?" one of the men said pulling a weapon on Kat.

"Stop you don't have to attack her. She's a good friend of mine and won't be any trouble I promise," Elly said jumping in between the Ishbalan and her friend.

Kat couldn't help but be reminded of her days back at school, though this time she knew that these people had good reason for there resentment towards her. "It's true, I am a soldier," she said softly. "But I promise that I don't wish to cause any harm."

"Yeah, that's what they said back in Ishbal," the man muttered but lowered his weapon.

Kat felt her heart sink with the weight of rejection but she maintained a smile nevertheless. "I'm sorry but all I can give you is my word."

Elly smiled at her friend before being lead by Katie once again to a wide circle where the people were receiving handed out foods. When Elly got hers she felt her breath catch in her throat at the amount there was. "Is this all the food you guys have?" she asked saddened.

"Yeah I'm really sorry about that you must be really hungry," Katie said grinning.

"No I was just wondering," Elly replied with a smile as Katie sat down on her left. "I can't eat this when these people are starving. If I'm going to help these people then I should be feeding them not the other way around," she thought to herself. "How you holding up Kat?" she asked turning to her friend.

Kat couldn't help but feel disheartened when no one would come close to her, and some even avoided making eye contact. Like Elly, she was also guilty to be eating part of what little food they had. When she was given water, she could immediately tell that the water was contaminated. "I'm fine," she said softly.

They ate in silence, albeit the children asked Elly many questions. One child attempted to approach Kat, only to be pulled back by his mother. Just as they were finishing, the elder of the group of travels walked up to Elly. "It has been a long time," he spoke to her in a grandfatherly voice. "If you please, I wish to speak with you… alone," he added after glancing over at Kat. "If you don't mind of course."

Kat shook her head hurriedly. "Not at all."

Elly took a quick look at Kat before agreeing as well and followed the elder toward his tent. "I understand that you want to talk to me but is it really necessary to leave Kat out of it? I'm a little worried about her being alone out there," Elly said once she sat down in front of the elder.

"I'm afraid so," The elder said sadly. "It concerns your brother."

Meanwhile, Kat was wandering through the encampment enduring the hard stares of several Ishbalens. How could she make them see she was not a threat to them? While passing a tent, she suddenly stopped when she heard a moaning sound coming from inside. She lifted the flap to see a young boy lying on a makeshift bed clutching his stomach in pain, sweat beading his brow and his mother and sister sitting beside him with what appeared to be a physician trying to help him.

"What's the matter with him?" Kat asked, concern etched in her features.

"It appears that he ate something that has made him very ill," the physician said without looking up.

"It's not like you would care anyway, army scum," the mother said clinging to her sick son. "I don't understand why the elder even allows you to stay here, much less wander around unwatched. I want you out of this tent now."

"Even if am I in the army, that doesn't mean that I don't care. Please," Kat implored. "Maybe there's something I can do to help."

"It's not just the boy. There are many others who are suffering from illness because of the poor food and water, though it's all we have to live on. Even if there was something you could do," said the physician, still not looking at her, "Why go through the trouble?"

"Because my brother once told me that you don't need a reason to help people," Kat said resolutely. "I'm not asking for much, I'm not even asking you to trust me. Just please, let me help."

The mother looked like her son for a moment seeing the suffering on his face before she looked at Kat again. "Alright, if there is anything you can do for my son then please do it," she said desperately.

Kat bowed her head in thanks before going over to the boy's bedside and taking a closer look at him. "He looks dehydrated. In the worst case, it's probably Diarrhea." She searched through her bag and pulled out a first aid kit. Opening it, she found several medicines and antidotes. She located the one she was looking for and pulled it out. "This is a remedy for upset stomach and diarrhea. You can probably divide it up among a good number of people. But just that won't help. They need clean water to drink."

The physician took a look at the medicine and approved of its use. He then looked at Kat for the first time, "Your medicine is greatly appreciated. I know we need clean water but we have no means as how to acquire them, if you have any ideas we will be very grateful."

Kat looked up at him and smiled. "I don't suppose you have a shovel lying around anywhere do you?"

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Elly sat frozen in the tent staring intently at the elder. "What do mean? Did you see my brother? What happened to him," she asked with her pale face looking all around the tent.

"I have not seen him, no," the elder said shaking his head. "I haven't seen him since I last saw you in fact. However, I have heard rumors that he has been going around killing alchemists. More specifically, people of the military. Is this true?"

Elly lowered her head staring at the ground, "Yeah it's true. I saw him not to long ago attacking a friend of mine. I tried to get him to stop without actually fighting him but there was nothing I could do."

"I'm very sorry to hear that you saw him in such a state," the elder expressed sadly.

"Don't worry about it, it was great knowing that he is still alive," Elly amended.

"It is a blessing to know that both of you are alive," the leader said to her. "Your reappearance has brought happiness and relief to many here. I can only hope that we may see your brother also alive and well. Currently, we are traveling to an Ishbalen retreat a bit of a ways from here. But our progress is slow due to unfortunate circumstances."

"Like what? What's been going on?" Elly asked concerned.

"It seems that many of us have fallen ill because of our lack of fresh water and food," the elder explained.

"My friend and I can help you there. For us that'll be a piece of cake, just tell me where your water supply is and if there have been any animals spotted nearby."

"The water supply is on the other side of the camp, but I'm afraid that no animals or plants have been spotted around these parts in a long time."

"Right well at least we can fix your water problem…that'll help a lot all on its own," Elly told him rushing out the door. She ran around the camp looking for Kat and the water supply only to find them together…surprisingly. "Hey Kat what are you doing over here?"

There were many people who were also gathered around, watching Kat whilst murmuring to each other. She was digging. She had gotten quite a good hole dug too. She was covered in dirt and sweat and her hands were working up blisters. She looked up at her friend and smiled. "Oh good, I could use your help."

"What are you doing down there, hiding your soldierness?" Elly asked standing over her and grinning with humor.

"Oh, haha," Kat said rolling her eyes slightly but smiling. "I've already taken care of the water in storage, but I need you to come here for a second." When Elly came over to her, Kat leaned in and whispered a few words into her ear. After she was finished she asked, "What do you think?"

"Sounds great let's do it," Elly said smiling. She hopped down into the hole and together with Kat they worked to smooth out the sides. A few hours later they climbed back out feeling satisfied with their work. "So now what do we use on top?" Elly asked glancing around. She didn't see anything near them but sand and tents.

"Hmmm," Kat thought long and hard. It was evening time and most of the people had gone to bed. Still, if not carefully done, they could both land in big trouble. And Kat knew that her friend didn't want her people to know she could use Alchemy. Then another idea came to her. "Hey Elly…."

"What….I don't like that look in your eye Kat," Elly said raising an eyebrow. She sat there as Kat whispered something in her ear. "Yeah I could probably do that….though if it does show we could really be in big trouble." With that she crouched down and placed her hands on the ground concentrating. A small light appeared just below the ground, but the sand kept it from being visible to anyone around them. Elly grinned at her handy work and she and Kat got back to work.

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CM: Now that's what I call a do good feel good. Please stay tuned. And reviews are greatly appreciated. :)


	7. Birth of the Water Weaver

**_Birth of the Water Weaver_**

The next morning Katie found Kat and Elly passed out on top of each other next to a large wall of rocks. Upon closer inspection Katie found clear water sitting at the top of the hole they had dug the night before. "I see…so that is what they were doing," the elder said coming up behind Katie. "Why don't we get them somewhere out of the sun and let them rest? They had a hard night."

Kat and Elly didn't wake up again until the late morning. And when Kat awoke, she found that the attitudes of many of the people had changed towards her. Several of the people who had been sick in their beds the days before came to her half recovered in order to thank her for the medicine and fresh water. The children no longer seemed frighten of her and they started calling her the Water Weaver.

"I apologize for my words yesterday," the mother of the sick child Kat had met told her. "Even though we treated you poorly, you still helped us. Thank you."

Kat couldn't remember feeling so warm inside. She felt like she had really made a difference. "I'm just glad I could help."

Elly was beaming that the people had finally seen the kindness that Kat always brought with her. She and Kat went about their day playing with the children and helping the adults whenever it was needed. Several times the children would ask Elly questions about how she escaped the siege and what had happened to her brother. Every time Elly would kindly explain that these were secrets and she refused to tell them no matter how much they begged.

"So how come you and the Water Weaver are such close friends?" one child asked as the sun started to go down again.

"Well you see, she saved my life once. Every since then I've been her partner making sure that she didn't lose her life like I almost did," Elly explained.

"Wow you two must be really close."

Meanwhile Kat was speaking with some of the adults nearby who asked her questions about what the army was plotting or if there was any change. Kat found it difficult to answer these questions since she wasn't very high up in the ranks and therefore knew nothing about their big plans if there were any. And then questions as to how she came to know Elly which led to stories of their adventures.

"Elly is probably the closest friend I've ever had," Kat said. "She's like a sister to me."

"I guess that explains why she'd stand up for you even though you are a soldier. You know you're lucky she was with you when you came, if it had been anyone else you probably wouldn't have gotten within 100 yards of this place," one of the men said.

"Oh you're being too hard on her, besides she did help get us clean water," one of the women retorted getting mad at him.

"You're right but we didn't know that when she first walked up."

"As I've said before, I'm just glad I could help," Kat repeated with a smile.

Meanwhile the children were staring at Elly with rapt attention as she divulged to them a particular story that had involved the two of them going to the mountains in the middle of winter to locate a laboratory that had been rumored to be producing illegal alchemy.

"What did you find in that lab?" Katie asked her mouth fully open.

"Not much really, just some alchemical symbols and a few weirdoes. Other than that there wasn't anything there," Elly explained.

"What did you do with those weirdoes?" a little boy named Jack asked hanging onto her every word.

"Well what we did was…." Elly started.

"Okay I think that's enough stories for tonight. We need to get some sleep, the elder says that we'll continue our journey tomorrow."

"Really? That's great, I hope nobody minds if Kat and I tag along to help you get to the encampment."

"After what you two have done for us, we would be honored if you would travel with us," the Ishbalen told her warmly.

"We have spare clothes for your journey until your originals get washed," a woman added with a smile.

"Thanks, I was wondering what we were going to do about our sweaty, stinky clothes," Elly said scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

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Late that night the group picked up their stuff and headed East for the other Ishbalan encampment. "Elly, where are you and Kat going?"

"We need to take care of something real fast," Elly shouted behind her. The two headed for the well and took a quick look around themselves to make sure no one was nearby. "Right let's take care of this thing before the group gets too far ahead," Elly said squatting down beside the well.

Kat gave Elly the thumbs up. "You got it." She placed her hands on the ground near the well and the water inside drained back down into the ground. "We wouldn't want anyone else finding this out here."

"Yeah, really," Elly agreed using her own alchemy to force the well to return to its original state. "Now that that's done let's get back to the group," Elly said getting up and leading the way. They reached the group in no time and traveled all night, reaching the encampment just as the sun was starting to rise.

Thanks to the new clothing that she was wearing, Kat was not met with the same hostility and mistrust as she was the first time around. She couldn't help but look around in admiration.

The encampment was very well made, with sturdy houses. Not far off there was a lake and fresh green grass was growing all around. It was a completely different setting. "It's beautiful," she murmured.

"It isn't really much," the leader of the encampment said walking up. "I'm very glad that we are able to help more of our people."

"We are very grateful for your hospitality," the elder told them taking the hand of the leader.

"Elder where would you like us to set up camp?" Elly asked with Katie standing next to her.

"I'm sure we can find some free spaces," the elder said to them. "For now, relax and we'll settle ourselves in, and be sure to watch over the young ones."

"Will do," Kat said grinning as one of the younger boys whom she had become acquainted with took a hold of her hand and began dragging her through the village, excited by the prospect of exploring his new surroundings.

Elly saw Kat disappear through the village and smiled to herself. "Hey Elly, I need to find my Mom. We got separated during the move," Katie said tugging on Elly's cloak.

"Alright, don't worry about it. I'll help you find your Mom," Elly told her taking her hand and leading her through the encampment in search of Katie's mother.

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"Whoa, slow down," Kat said laughing as she was dragged along. She looked back behind her to see that a couple other children had followed her and she couldn't help but feel like an older sister taking care of her younger siblings. She had always wondered what it would be like, being an older sister. It was a good feeling…

Suddenly she bumped into someone and stumbled backwards. "Sorry," she apologized. Then she started when she realized who she had bumped into.

"You," the man said staring at her. His right hand twitched, but he stopped at the sight of all the little children around her. "If you're here then Elinora must be," he added staring her down.

"Oh, so you remember me," Kat said with a weak smile. She hesitated before saying, "Well, yes. Elly is here with me. We were just escorting a group of travelers here."

"Elly and the Water Weaver helped us out lots," the little boy said grinning. "I was really sick but she made it all better."

Scar looked at her with a hint of surprise on his face. "I see. I'm glad you kids made it here okay," he finally said skipping over Kat entirely. "If you see Elly, tell her I'm looking for her."

"Sure," Kat promised. "I'll let her know."

"Know this, alchemist," Scar said walking by her. "I'm letting you go this one time as repayment for helping my people. But if we meet on the field of battle, I will not hesitate."

"I'll keep that in mind," Kat said with a smile. "And you better give your sister a hug when you see her."

Scar ignored the last comment and went looking around for his sister.

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"Oh there she is Katie," Elly said pointing out her mother as she moved back and forth from a recently set up tent.

"Mom," Katie shouted running to her mom's side.

"There you are. I was wondering where you disappeared to," her mother scolded.

"I was having fun with Elly Mom."

"I see, well thank you for helping her get back to me."

"No problem. If there is anything you need just let me know okay," Elly said turning around and going to find Kat.

"If you're looking for the alchemist girl, she's on the other side of the village," a hard voice said from behind her.

Elly spun around to see Scar standing there with bandages on his chest. "Nii-san. I didn't expect to see you here."

Scar's eyes darkened. "Nor I you. I thought you had abandoned our people. Never did I think our paths would cross in a place like this."

"What made you assume that? I didn't think I did anything that would make people think I betrayed my people," Elly said slightly put out.

"You sided with the alchemists," Scar said through clenched teeth. "After what they did to our people. And all this time, when I thought you were dead, I come to find out you've been with them this entire time."

"I haven't been with them the entire time. I haven't sided with all alchemists….only those that I have become friends with will I side with," Elly amended. "I think it should make you happy to know that I have not joined the army and never will. I will only help my friends and my family."

"I see," Scar said closing his eyes. "It would seem you've found a new life then. Very well. Do as you wish." And he turned away from her and began to walk off.

Elly grabbed his arm stopping him in his tracks. "Just because I have more to look forward to in this life doesn't mean that I've forgotten what I used to have."

Scar stood still for a moment, an ominous figure in the dying light of day. "What we used to have is gone," he told her and tore his arm out of her grasp. "Forever." And he left to continue his own personal quest.

Elly spent the next few hours and all that night staring into space thinking about her brother and what she was doing with her life. "Elly you haven't moved from that spot for a long time. What's on your mind?" the elder asked coming into her tent.

"It's nothing really. I can deal with it on my own," Elly responded with a small smile.

Kat came in stretching a little bit. "Ah, I trust you're enjoying your stay?" The elder asked politely.

"Yes, thank you," Kat said with a small bow. "Thank you for all your hospitality. But I'm afraid I have to depart tomorrow. I have a niece who is turning four and I would like to be there to celebrate the occasion."

"Understandable," he said nodding. "Will you be leaving as well, Elly?"

Elly took a moment to answer thinking everything through carefully. "Not this time. I think I'll stick around here to help where I can. Tell your family I said hi okay? And do me a favor and tell Roy that until further notice I'll be out of his overly greased, egocentric hair."

Kat gave a laugh. "I'll let him know."

"Your help has been much appreciated," the elder told her placing a hand on her shoulder. "No doubt stories of the Water Weaver will be passed amongst our people. We are in your dept, both of you."

Kat rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I don't know what else to say except, thanks."

"I couldn't have done it without you Kat, we should all be thanking you. Have a safe trip and don't let those Elric brothers give you any grief," Elly said waving goodbye.

"Are you sure you didn't want to go?" the elder asked as soon as Kat was out of earshot.

"At first I wasn't….but seeing the problems that are here makes me realize that this is where I am needed the most. Kat can take care of herself…and if she get's into too much trouble her brother can always find a way to bail her out."

"In that case, would you like a more permanent residence?"

"No thanks…this is just fine with me."

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"Water weaver where are you going?" a little voice asked running up to Kat.

Kat stopped and crouched down so that she was more eye level with him. "I'm going to go visit my family," she told him with a smile. "They live close by and it's been a while since I've had time to spend with them."

"You'll come back right?" The boy asked almost tearfully. "We'll see each other again won't we?"

"Of course. I'll come back the first chance I get," Kat promised, ruffling his hair. "Until then, take care of your sister, okay?"

The boy made a little salute, "I will." He waved and shouted after her as she walked away from the encampment. "I will see her again I know I will," he declared as he lost sight of her. Then he turned around and continued to play with his friends and sister.

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CM: Aww...that's so sweet. ^^ Next time...three parties in one. Stay tuned. ^^ And if you have the heart...PLEASE REVIEW. T_T


	8. Three Parties in One

_**Three Parties in One**_

When Kat finally made it to central it was late morning and she was exhausted. But at least she made it a day before Elicia's birthday. She wasn't even aware of the strange looks she was getting from people as she passed by them. Imagine the welcome greeting she received when she walked up to the doors of the central work area.

The two guards nearly drew weapons on her. "State your business," one of them commanded.

Kat reached into her pocket and pulled out her alchemist watch. "Ice Cold Alchemist, aka Lieutenant Kathleen Hughes. I'm here to see my brother."

"Kat? Is that really you? What in the world are you wearing?" the guard asked putting down his gun and looking her up and down.

Kat looked down at herself, remembering she was still dressed in the garbs that the Ishbalens had given her. She looked back up at them. "I was working a covert operation. Any further information is strictly confidential." She smiled. "Now, may I please pass?"

"Y-Yes of course Ice Cold," the guard said jumping out of the way and to attention. "If you're looking for the Lieutenant Colonel, he just went to visit the Elric brothers in the medical center."

"Medical center? Already?" Kat said in amazement. "Well, I guess I'll find out when I get there." Kat was escorted by two more soldiers to the medical center. When they reached the room, Kat relieved them before entering. Seeing Ed on the bed, and then Al in the corner missing nearly half of himself, she shook her head. "Man, and people tell ME to stay out of trouble."

"Oh shut up, you have no idea what happened," Ed said staring at his covers.

"What brings you here Kat? You said you had to go to Eastern?" Al asked in an angry tone.

"Yeah, well my job is pretty much finished and I was given permission to come back here," Kat explained.

'Oh' was all Al said as he stared off into who knows where.

"If you're looking for Hughes he just left a minute ago. I think he said something about giving the Colonel a phone call," Ed added.

"Doh!" Kat said slapping her hand to her forehead. "I was supposed to deliver a report. Thanks for reminding me. I hope you guys get well soon. I'll stop by again later okay?" She said waving goodbye before heading over to her brother's office.

Upon entering she saw her brother talking on the phone while a mousy haired girl with glasses stood behind a desk. Hughes looked up, with the phone still in his ear and his face lit up. "Kat! It's been a while hasn't it? How's my charming one and only little sister doing?"

"Hughes, what's Kat doing over there without reporting in to me first?" Roy asked dangerously into the phone.

Hughes, Kat, and the glasses girl all sweat dropped. Hughes held out the phone to Kat with a nervous smile. "I think it's for you."

Kat hesitantly took the phone and held it half a foot away from her ear. "Good afternoon Colonel. How's the weather at Eastern?"

"What happened to reporting to me right after your mission Second Lieutenant? You'd better have a good reason for not returning to Easter. I didn't hear anything about Elly being there either. Where is she?" (1)

"Ahem… it's Eastern sir."

"That's what I said."

"You said Easter." Kat winced as she heard a loud thud come from the other end.

"Dammit Lieutenant, I want that report now!"

"The rumors are a negative sir. There were no rebellion sightings whatsoever. As to why I didn't make it back to Eastern, the car broke down and we wandered through the desert living off water I had to draw up 70 ft from the ground. Central was closer. As for Elly, she says, and I quote: 'until further notice I'll be out of his overly greased, egocentric hair'. That's the entire report, Colonel. Is there anything else you want to know?"

There was silence on the other hand except for some heavy breathing. "There is only one thing that I want to know Lieutenant. Does that statement of Elly's mean that she has left and won't be coming back?"

Kat smiled. "No sir. She just found something important that she needed to do. I don't have any doubt that she'll be back eventually."

"I see, very well then." His voice suddenly grew louder. "Next time when something goes wrong let me know the very second you get the chance. If anything would have happened to you, I would have been the one liable."

"Relax, Colonel," Kat attempted to soothe. "Honestly, you're going to go into cardiac arrest one of these days if you keep that up. And then who's going to boss me around?"

"LIEUTENANT!!!!" Roy shouted before the phone was taken once again by Hughes.

"I do have a bit of good news sir," he said with a smile.

Roy took a deep breath to calm himself down, "What is it Hughes? Did you find Scar?"

"Now why would that be good news? No it's my daughter Elysia's fourth birthday tomorrow."

With that Roy slammed the phone down muttering, "That entire family, I swear."

"Now why would he go and do that?" Hughes asked in an undertone. "Oh well I'm just happy to see that my sister is doing better and that you managed to make it for Elysia's birthday," Hughes said jumping up and giving Kat a huge hug.

Kat hugged her brother back. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. And I found her the perfect gift on my way here too. I really hope she likes it."

"Oh? And what did you get her?" Hughes asked excitedly.

She winked and placed a finger in front of her lips. "Ah-ah, that's hush-hush. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see it."

Hughes squirmed with anticipation but didn't ask again. "So what did happen on your little mission thingy? You got me all curious when you reported to Roy. Will you tell me what it is, or at least why Elly isn't here?" Hughes said putting his arm around Kat's shoulders.

"Well," Kat said slowly. "Tell you what. I'll tell YOU what happened on my little adventure if you promise to tell ME what happened here at Central that you happen to be keeping from the Colonel. Sound fair?"

Hughes grinned in understanding of his sister's curiosity. "Alright, it's a deal," he said steering her out of that room to another, more private one. He told her everything that happened, from the burning down of the 1st branch of the library to the battle at 5th laboratory ending with the brothers in the hospital. "Now you know. So what happened with you and Elly on your little mission?"

As promised, Kat told her brother about how Roy had sent them on a mission to scope out the desert for a rebellion group. How their car broke down and they were taken in by a traveling group of Ishbalens, how Kat and Elly helped them out and traveled with them to an encampment, the location of which she refused to divulge, and how she had bumped into Scar.

Finally she ended the story with her leaving for Central and Elly choosing to stay behind. "Hm, that would certainly explain the clothes you're wearing," Hughes commented after some thought. "And I can definitely understand why you wouldn't want anyone to know about what happened. Though I hope you realize if anyone found out you were withholding this information, the consequences could be severe."

"I know," Kat said with a nod. "But those people were doing no wrong. They helped us and accepted me. I owe it to them."

"If they helped my little sister then I too shall not do anything that might bring them harm," Hughes said with tears of joy rushing down his face. "Now about Elysia's birthday, I was just heading out to get her some gifts….as well as Edward. Would you like to go with me?"

"Of course!" Kat said eagerly. "Wait, did you say for Ed too?"

"Yeah, it's his birthday too tomorrow? Isn't that neat?" Hughes asked with a wide grin.

"Heh, that is pretty cool," Kat agreed.

"Well, I'm going to go see how those two are doing and then we'll head on out," Hughes said with a smile. The he rushed out the door and up the stairs. When he came back down he had Winrey in tow and led the way with whistles and joyful shouts toward the supermarket.

The next day was a very proud one for Kat and her brother. She was happy to see that Winry, as well as Scheska whom her brother had introduced her to, were there as well. Sadly the Elric brothers couldn't make it, since they were still recovering. They all watched with smiles as Elysia blew out the candles on her birthday cake.

When presents were distributed, Kat gave hers for Elysia to open. "How pretty!" her niece exclaimed when she opened the box to find a small golden heart shaped locket.

"Look inside," Kat told her.

She opened it. "Its mommy, daddy, you and me!" she said with excitement.

"Exactly, that way no matter where we are we can still be with you wherever you go," Kat told her with a hug.

Elysia went to open the rest of her presents and was excited with each one ending with Winrey's gift. The party continued into the night until Elysia fell asleep. "Ah isn't she just the cutest thing?" Hughes squealed.

Gracia picked up Elysia and took her to bed telling everyone that she was happy they came and that it was time for all of them to leave. "Alright well I'm going to get going and see how Ed and Al are doing," Winrey said getting up to leave.

"I'm coming with you," Kat told her. "I have a gift for Ed, and I promised them both I'd visit them again."

"Good idea," Hughes told her patting her shoulder. "I'm sure they'll be delighted to see you both."

"I'll be back soon, bro," Kat said with a wave as she and Winry left the house.

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"Elly could you give us a hand over here?"

"Elly we need a little more food over here."

"Elly the water is getting sand in it what should we do?"

Elly was running all over the village taking care of her people and teaching them techniques to keep their food and water from spoiling again. By the time the sun rose she was exhausted and slowly walked back to her tent pleased by the joy she brought to those around her.

"Hey Elly," one Ishbalen boy ran up to her in excitement and grabbed her by the arm and tugging on it, urging her to follow him. "You gotta come see this!"

Elly sighed but smiled, "What is it? Is there someone else in trouble?"

"Yeah kind of, just come on." He dragged her through the streets until he got to the elders tent.

"The elder wants to see me again?" she asked wearily.

"No it's who is in there," the boy answered.

"Who's in there?" she asked pushing open the flap. She saw upon entering two young boys sitting next to a large man with a scar across his face and bandages everywhere. "Brother, what happened now?" she asked in surprise.

"He hasn't eaten or responded at all," said an older looking Ishbalen kid. "I tried to get him to eat so that he can get better but he won't listen. Man, why'd I have to get stuck taking care of such a stubborn guy?"

"That's my brother for you, stubborn till the end. I will admit that it does get really annoying every once in a while," Elly said with a slight laugh sitting next to him. "I wonder what happened this time, he always does manage to get himself into such a fix. Here let me take care of that." She took the kid's place and tried to get her stubborn brother to eat.

Scar moved fitfully as if he was suffering from some terrible memory, until his eyes suddenly snapped open. "Oh you're awake," the village elder said coming into the tent. "You had us worried there."

"He hasn't been eating," the older boy complained. "We try to help him but he just leaves and gets hurt again."

The older man chuckled. "Those who have Ishbalen blood running through their veins are protected by our god Ishbala. Everything is as he designs it."

Suddenly, there was a large explosion followed by the many screams of the people. Elly rushed to the door flap and threw it open to see the encampment in flames, people running everywhere terrified while being pursued by men in army uniforms. "This must be another test of our faith from Ishbala," the elder murmured.

"No this is the work of unrighteous men and their evil desires," Scar corrected coming out of the tent as well. He moved forward ready to fight until he fell to the ground.

"You need to stay out of this one brother and allow yourself to recover. I'll deal with these mercenaries," Elly said angrily watching the mayhem.

Scar looked at her angrily but said nothing. "She's right, you're too weak," The elder told him. "Our first priority is to get our people to safety."

"Right, you two gather together all the people and lead them all to that outcropping okay," Elly commanded. The boys nodded and went about their mission. Elly turned back to the problem at hand, "I know you are going to be angry with me brother but please don't hate me after this." With that she ran into the fray of fighting causing many of the army clad men to stop and surround her.

"Stop! What do you think you're doing!" Her brother shouted at her.

"Another Ishbalen rat," one of the soldiers said. "Prepare to die!"

"You have no right to attack this place, leave now or I will not hold back," Elly threatened standing unafraid of the men.

"Ha like that would scare us," one of the soldiers laughed pulling out his gun.

"I warned you," Elly replied before dropping to the ground.

"Hey what are…" one of the men got out before being flung backwards several feet. Elly followed up her attack by forming a weapon out of the air and then attacking all the men up close.

"An alchemist? That's not possible," one shouted. Scar meanwhile was staring aghast at what he was seeing.

Elly ignored their shouts of surprise and continued to attack them allowing the people around them to escape. She didn't stop there though, she went all through the village allowing people to escape while she took out more of the attackers.

"ELLY HELP US!!!" a little voice cried.

"Heh, I've never chopped through the body of a child before," an evil voice shrieked as Elly spotted Katie and a little boy being chased by a large body of armor.

"KATIE, GARRET, HANG ON," Elly shouted running toward the pair.

A hand shot out of nowhere stopped the arm that had been about to swing an ax down on the children. "Oh, we meet again," he said with a laugh as he hit Scar's bandaged area causing him to release the armored man in pain.

"Scar!!" Elly shouted. She got in front of him just in time to block the armored man's next blow. "What in the world were you doing jumping in the fight with those injuries you idiot?" she asked him angrily throwing the axe away from them. "I was sure that you were going to stay with the elder and get to safety."

"Ooh, another fighter to slice up," Barry shrieked with delight as he attacked again.

Scar pulled her out of the way while the children quickly ran behind them for cover. "I may already be damned, but I shall not let any more of these devils do as they please." As Barry took another swing, Scar managed to catch hold of his axe and cause it to explode, knocking Barry backwards off his feet. Of course, the use of his arm nearly caused him to collapse with fatigue.

"Brother get those two out of here I'll take care of this empty shell." She didn't wait for an answer but ran forward to attack only to be pulled back by Scar. "Let go. I have to take care of this now," Elly shouted at him trying to break his grip.

"Don't you think there are more important matters?" Scar asked her. "These children need you. The people of this village need you. And I will not have my sister's hands stained with blood as mine have become. You're coming with us."

Elly stared at him sure she had heard him wrong. "Alright, Katie, Garret let's go," she said grabbing their hands and leading them toward the edge of the encampment. Every once in a while she had to stoop and give Scar a helping hand.

"You made it," the elder praised happily.

"There's no where we can go from here," one of the adults cried out as the soldiers started heading in their direction.

"We still have one way," Elly murmured. She squatted on the ground and made an alchemical circle on the ground before using it to create an opening with stairs leading down into the sewer system.

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CM: Well wasn't that fun...but as we know...just when life is going good it takes a hard left turn. Stay tuned. Thanks for the Reviews...please keep them coming. ^^

(1) This started out as a typo and then we decided to turn it into something humorous...because an angry Roy is a fun Roy.


	9. Pursuit of the Truth

_**Pursuit of the Truth**_

Kat sat there watching as Winry fixed Ed's arm. "Wow, you're really good at that. I never could get interested in machinery to be able to know what to do with it," she complimented. "Oh, by the way Ed, I got you this," Kat said tossing him a small package wrapped in brown paper.

Ed opened the package and took out a set of dog tags designed for those in the military. On one of them was inscribed Edward Elric aka. Full Metal Alchemist with his height, weight and physical description on the other side. On the other one was written the dog of the military with a picture of him and his brother standing back to back. "Thanks Kat, I really don't know what to say," he finally said holding it out in front of him.

"Don't worry about it, Happy Sixteenth Birthday. You know what lucky number 16 means don't you?"

"What does it mean?" Ed asked curiously.

"You're now officially old enough to be drafted," Kat said giving him the thumbs up.

"Thanks for the reminder," Ed muttered glancing over at Winrey. "Are you done yet?" he asked feeling a little impatient.

"Hold on, this sort of thing takes time," Winrey scolded. "Besides while I'm fixing this you can think of what you are going to say to make Al feel better."

Kat glanced over at Al. He had been silent the whole time she and Winry had arrived. And even though the armor could not display facial expressions, she could tell that the young boy wasn't in the best of moods.

"I'm going to go sit on the roof until you're done fixing Ed," Al stated. And he had a soldier carry him up to the rooftop.

"Don't worry," Kat told Ed in an attempt to cheer him up. "Siblings always go through a conflict now and then. Even my brother and I do so sometimes. Of course, I always win in the end."

"Right because your brother is Hughes, how could you not win?" Ed asked deep in thought.

Kat grinned. "Like I said, it'll work itself out."

"Yeah, I hope you're right," Ed muttered. Once Winry was done with Ed's repairs the three of them went up on the rooftop where Al was. After some quick Alchemy, Al was back on his feet again.

"That's how you made me this way when you attached my soul to this armor….isn't it?" Al asked sadly.

"Yeah," Ed replied.

"And my memories. Memories are just pieces of data aren't they? As skilled an alchemist as you are you could have easily fabricated my memories to what ever you wanted them to be."

"False memories?" Ed asked in shock. Kat was also astounded that Al would think such a thing. She watched as Al became more and more angry the further the conversation went.

"How can I trust you? When there's no proof?" Al asked them.

"Alphonse, these people care about you. Your brother cares about you. How could you think that of them?" Kat asked.

"Alphonse Elric doesn't exist. You were all in on it from the start," he shouted before running to the edge of the roof and jumping to the ground with Ed shouted his name.

Kat watched sadly as Al ran off. She would have gone after him, but then she figured that he needed time to think and to cool off. Ed finally stopped struggling and fell to his knees. "Al…"

Kat crouched down beside him and placed an arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry, we'll find him and sort this whole thing out. I promise."

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"Elly, wake up. We found this big guy wearing a huge suit of armor."

"Huh? Katie what are you babbling about?" Elly mumbled sitting up in her bed.

"There was a really big guy who came here wearing this strange suit of armor. He's talking with the elder right now."

Elly still a little groggy made her way to the elder's tent where she unceremoniously pushed open the flap of the door and walked in. Once inside she spotted Al sitting in front of the elder and Scar standing right behind him.

"I didn't know you were here," Al said angrily.

"Don't worry Al, my brother has no reason to hurt you. By the way what brings you all the way down here?" Elly asked sitting heavily on the floor.

"Oh so you know this one as well?" the elder asked.

"Yep he's one of my good friends," Elly said through a yawn.

"Elly?" Al said in surprise. "What are you doing here for? I thought it was strange when I didn't see you with Kat. …But then again, I guess it's not so strange since you're Ishbalen too."

"You've seen the Water Weaver?" A boy asked from behind Elly.

Also with Elly was a young girl. "If you're talking about Kat, then yes, I've seen her recently actually," Al said dully.

"What happened Al? You aren't acting like your usual happy self. Where did Ed go?" Elly asked moving closer.

"I don't care what happens to him," Al answered angrily.

"That's strange. He's your brother, what happened to make you hate him so much?" Elly asked again trying to understand.

Al said nothing but the silence was shattered by the young Ishbalan boy's cry. "Oh no, Mom's necklace, I can't find it. I must have dropped it while we were being chased." He turned around to run toward the exit but was stopped by Scar.

"It's best if you don't go running around out there on your own," he said darkly.

"My brother's right, but if we go with you the chances that something will go wrong will be smaller," Elly said with a smile. "Want to come Al?" Al said nothing but nodded his head and followed them out.

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Meanwhile…

"Wow, you're brother sure knows how to hide out," Kat commented as Winry asked a woman if she had seen Al. Edward said nothing but continued to look dully down at the ground.

"Don't worry Ed," Winry said. "Once you talk to Al everything will be better."

Ed was silent for a moment before saying, "There is something I've wanting to ask him, but I've just been too afraid to. Afraid of what he might say."

"What? Are you afraid he'll hate you?" Kat asked him and Ed looked up at her in shock. "I'm thinking I guessed right," she sighed before leaning down and pulling Ed into a hug. "Silly, I know for a fact that Al could never hate you." Then she added. "You're just too adorable."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING ADORABLE? I'M A STATE ALCHEMIST HERE," he shouted flinging his arms around. "Besides, you don't know what happened back there. If Al really did know….would he hate me?" he asked going back into his gloomy state.

"Maybe you should ask him that yourself," Kat told him gently. "You can't always expect to have answers if you don't ask the question."

Ed stared at her for a moment before mumbling, "Let's just keep looking."

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"I know it was over here though I don't see it anywhere," the younger Ishbalan boy exclaimed searching the ground everywhere. "Wait there it is," he said glancing up and spotting it just a few feet in front of him.

Scar picked it up and Elly grinned as he gave it back to the boy being very gentle. "He's back to normal," she thought happily. "Right let's get back to the camp before somebody spots us."

The boy nodded and they all headed back to the opening into the sewers. "Hey Scar do you think that I'm…..human?" Al asked randomly. Scar ignored him and just continued on. Once they reached the opening he flashed a light and waited until the return flash came.

The younger Ishbalan ran to the other end of the alley and looked both ways, "The coast is clear."

Suddenly two army clad men leapt down and grabbed the boy before firing at the rest of the group. One even charged at them but Al took him down in no time at all. The men threw a smoke bomb and once the smoke cleared they were gone along with the child.

"Rick!!" Leo shouted trying to run to them.

"Hang on a sec Leo. Those guys are mercenaries…like the ones who attacked us before. We need to find out where their headquarters are before we head out there. Otherwise we'll be looking all over the place with no sense of direction," Elly said putting her hands of his shoulders.

They group managed to acquire a vehicle which Scar drove. How he learned to drive, no one could really guess. During the ride, Leo told them all about how their mother had abandoned them when the soldiers invaded her home and died shortly afterwords.

"I don't think she actually abandoned you Leo. If I remember right your mom would never abandon anyone she cared about….especially not her two little boys. Every time I talked to her, her two sons were all she would talk about," Elly remembered.

"Enough talk. We're here," Scar said stopping the car.

Al went to the wall of the building and performed some alchemy to keep back the soldiers before making a hole in the wall where Rick lay. Leo grabbed his brother and they ran while Scar confronted the soldiers.

"I told you that scarred fellow would show up," the leader said with a smile.

"I guess you forgot about me didn't you," Elly asked coming up behind him. "Oh well." She stood behind him with a large smile on her face while five of his men lay on the ground unconscious.

"How did you get in here?" he asked angrily.

"I walked through the front door, not that I received a very nice welcome."

"Elly go help the boys," Scar commanded.

"Heh, fine just don't get yourself hurt again, idiot," Elly said running after the boys.

The battle between Barry and Al was going on. Barry delivered a powerful blow knocking Al on his back. Barry was about to sieze his chance when suddenly… "YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE," Ed shouted running up and blocking Barry's attack. Winry and Kat had also arrived.

"Brother, what are you doing here?" Al asked them.

"That's a stupid question!" Winry yelled. "Ed's been looking all over for you!"

"Brother…" Al whispered.

The soldiers shot at them while Ed hid them behind a wall. "Al… there's something I've been wanting to ask," Ed said painfully. "Do you hate me?"

"Brother I could never….I could never hate you," Al declared delivering a powerful right that sent Barry flying through the air.

"Good shot Al," Elly shouted grinning. She looked over and saw that some of the other soldiers were setting up to shoot Scar, so she used her alchemy to plug their guns up with sand and then watched as Kat created an ice prison around them.

Kat smiled at her friend. "Nice to see you again."

They watched as the rest of the soldiers were taken out by Ed, Al, and Scar. Barry tried one last assault that ended up with him becoming so damaged that he felt apart screaming before exploding and showering spikes everywhere. One hit Rick right in the chest and he fell forward.

"Rick!" His brother screamed. Kat and Elly quickly ran over to where they were, hoping that the boy would be alright.

"Rick please say something," Leo pleaded as his brother continued to lie still.

Then Rick's eyes fluttered open and he sat up pulling out his mother's necklace. "See brother, Mom saved me," he said happily.

The locket part of the necklace opened and inside was a picture of them with their mother and some sort of pill. "I remember now. Your mother once told me that she was suffering from some sort of illness but wouldn't explain just what it was. Now I see that she was slowly losing her eye sight," the elder explained.

"So then when mom left she was only looking for us," Leo muttered as the realization of what really happened dawned on him.

The group smiled and headed for the car. "Hey brother, I'm glad to see that you're back to your old self again," Elly muttered under her breath to him.

"Whatever, just make sure you get that thing taken care of before you pass out," Scar replied jumping into the front seat.

Kat, who also knew that Elly had gotten sliced by one of the daggers but had played it off as if she was fine, overheard this and smiled to herself as she got in the already crowded car.

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The next morning, she found herself once more having to say goodbye to her friend. "So you're heading out again huh? Well, be sure to take care of yourself and write me once in a while if you can."

"Sure thing," Elly replied giving Kat a hug. She winced as Kat's arm brushed across her wound. "Oy Ed, Al, take good care of each other okay. I don't want to hear that you two got into another one of those fights." She gave each of them a hug and ruffled Ed's hair which only made him angry.

"Hey Scar did the Ishbalan's ever make a philosophers stone?" Ed asked just before their boat shipped out.

"No we never did," he replied gruffly.

"Well then what happened?" Ed asked again. Scar ignored him this time and got the boat started.

"Hey I'll be coming to visit again sometime so don't any of you die on me," Elly shouted after them as the boat continued to pull away. She waved goodbye until they were no longer in sight.

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CM: Just when you think life gets good, it takes a turn for the worse. Stay tuned for chapter 10 of Artic Wind. T_T And please review.


	10. Life is Beautiful

CM: I know there are many of you who are demanding fluff, and I promise there will be more in the future. But for now......enjoy the chapter. ^_^

**_Life is Beautiful_**

Hughes exited the Fuhrer's office and began making his way down the hall when he suddenly stopped. "Come on out, Kat."

Kat's guilty face poked out from behind a tapestry. "Am I in trouble?"

"You know what I've told you about eaves dropping. I really don't want you to get involved in this, I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you," Hughes told her ruffling her hair.

Kat giggled, but then she looked at her brother seriously as they began walking together. "Sorry, bro. I just don't understand why you won't tell Roy about all of this. I mean… it's pretty serious business, isn't it?"

"That may be, but Roy has enough on his plate. Besides, he'll be transferred to Central soon. He can find out then."

"He's going to totally blow up on you, you know that right?" Kat said with a smile.

"Yes I know….but its best not to worry him about certain things until they become necessary. Now, I have to go talk to the Elric brothers. Would you like to come along?"

Kat grinned. "You know it."

"By the way," Hughes said. "Since you're not here on official duty, it might be best if you were to stick close to me."

"What are you talking about?" Kat asked with a laugh. "Why else do you think I came?"

He smiled at her before squealing and giving her a big hug, "You are the most adorable sister a man could ask for."

"Hehe, and you're the coolest, bro," Kat told him. "Love ya."

"Same here kiddo," Hughes told her warmly. "Now let's go see the two trouble makers." They went to visit the brothers and Hughes gave them a list of people, mainly higher ups, who had died.

Armstrong then talked about investigating more on Marco but Ed said, "Thanks, but we're not interested in that anymore."

"What do you plan to do then?" Hughes asked slightly put down.

"Well we thought we'd head back to our teacher in Daubrise," Ed explained.

"HUH….look what's on the way to Daubrise. It's the automail heaven of Rushvalley," Winrey squealed jumping up and down. "Oh take me there Ed, please take me there."

"No way!" But after some arguing, Winry managed to talk them into talking her. As Kat left the room with her brother and Major Amrstrong, they bumped into Lt. Ross and her partner.

"So they decided to stay out of dangerous matters huh?" He said with a chuckle. "I guess they must have learned their lesson from seeing how hard it was for us as their body guards."

"It'd be a happy ending if they meant what they said," Hughes said.

"They said that because they didn't want us to be the next victims," Armstrong explained at the man's confused face.

"Sometimes it's hard to remember that their kids," Hughes said.

Kat gave a small laugh. "Still, I'm going to miss them."

"Right well we'd better see them off," Hughes said rubbing his neck. As soon as the brothers and Winrey were ready to go Hughes, his family, and several others went to see the group off. "Good luck you guys. Call us if you need anything okay," Hughes said smiling and waving.

"Sure thing Lieutenant Colonel," Ed replied with a SMALL salute.

"Come back soon, you hear?" Kat called. "And be careful, I'd be sad if anything happened to my DLF."

"No problem," Ed replied not catching what she said. They waved goodbye until the group was out of sight.

"Well, let's go home and have some of that fine cooking, Gracia," Hughes said giving his wife and daughter a very big hug. "Are you coming Kat?"

"Of course," Kat said with a face that said 'do you even need to ask?' They went home and had a relaxing dinner and Kat helped Gracia with the dishes afterwards.

"Hey Kat, I need to make a report about the Elric brothers now….would you like to listen to the Colonel's tirade?" Hughes asked with a sly grin. Kat couldn't help but grin as well and she nodded a yes.

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"Yraah!!!!!!!!!"

Elly awoke really fast feeling sweat on her face as she heard the shout. She rushed over to her brother's tent and saw him sitting up in his bed breathing hard. "Hey brother, are you okay? What happened?" Elly asked closing the door behind her.

"It's nothing," Scar told her, clutching his head as if it hurt. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I couldn't sleep. It's nice to know that you worry about me though, kind of makes me think about the old days," Elly said sitting down next to him.

"What old days….there never were any."

"I had a feeling you'd say something like that. Oh well I guess that's just how you are. I don't suppose you'll tell me what nightmare woke you up will you," Elly asked looking at him.

Scar sat in silence, not looking at her. He opened his mouth but before he could say anything, a ruckus rose up from outside. Scar got up and went outside to see that a gang of bikers had ridden up and were now harassing some of the villagers.

"Are we ever going to get a break?" Elly asked scratching her head in irritation. Then she and Scar went in different directions to clear the area with their alchemy. Ten minutes later the gangsters had left and Scar and Elly had reunited back at his tent. "You'd think these guys would get tired of messing with us. I'm getting really tired of these people hurting us," Elly exclaimed rubbing her neck in frustration.

Scar said nothing but continued to glare after the retreating men. Suddenly the leader walked up from behind them. "Is that not the arm of your elder brother?" He asked Scar. Scar did not answer, but continued to stare outward.

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"You honestly don't think them being hospitalized wasn't important information for me?"

"I thought I had mentioned it. It was just a few scrapes," Hughes said into the phone while Kat sat nearby listening intently.

"He couldn't use his arm anymore!" Roy shouted.

"On brighter news it seems that your transfer to Central is going to be finalized soon. You need to hurry up and get important here so that things will be a lot easier for us. And get yourself a wife. My sister's still available," Hughes replied with a grin.

On the other side Roy slammed the phone down. "Please don't take it out on the phone sir," Hawkeye said walking by with a big stack of papers.

"Lieutenant, book a spot on the next train," Roy ordered.

"Going to Central?" Hawkeye asked surprised.

"I've got a feeling that there is more going on there then what Hughes has said. I've just got a really bad feeling about this."

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"Bro! Why did you tell him that?" Kat asked, her face flushed bright pink.

"Why? Because I trust him and feel that if anything happened to me he'd be the one that I'd like to look after you," Hughes replied giving his sister a pat on the head. "Besides there are so many things that could happen to my adorable little sister if she didn't have anyone to look out for her."

"Sometimes I wonder about you, bro," Kat said shaking her head but smiling nonetheless.

She went with him to say good night to Elysia. "Daddy has a lot of work to do," he told her softly. "Buh bye."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Kat asked him as he was walking out the door.

"No I think it would be best if you stayed here with your sister and niece," he explained walking to the door. "If anything happens to me I want to make sure that my family is safe." He patted her on a shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be back later to night…don't stay up too late."

"Alright," Kat said with a nod, even though she wished she could go with him.

She watched him walk off before closing the door. She couldn't help but have a sense of foreboding. But he assured her he would be back and she trusted him. She sat on the living room couch and read a book for a while, until she slowly drifted off to sleep.

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Hughes went back to the office to do some more research when the Fuerher's secretary came in to tell him that Marco was waiting in a nearby room to speak to him. He followed her and when he went to open the door Lust came flying out of the door behind him to attack but he got her in the forehead with one of his knives.

Then Lieutenant Ross came out with a gun and shot Lust as well. Then the two of them rushed out of the building to find a pay phone to call the Colonel only to find out that he had left earlier that night.

"Roy why did you have to do this?" Hughes muttered under his breath as he turned back around.

"Lieutenant Colonel, sir we need to get moving," Ross said looking around.

"I understand there's just one thing I need to do first," he replied before slicing her throat.

She fell to the ground and Hughes turned to go back home only to have Ross get back up and turn into a perfect double of his wife. Then she shot him and his last thought was of his family and his now broken promise to return home that night.

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Kat gasped, sitting bolt up right in a cold sweat. It took her a few moments to remember where she was and a few minutes to steady her breathing. She couldn't even remember what it had been that woke her up. The room was dark and all the lights were turned off. She turned on a lamp to check the time on her watch. It was late. She quietly went to her brother's bedroom and pushed the door open. She saw Gracia sleeping soundly, but her brother wasn't there.

The feeling a foreboding she had earlier was now back with ten times the intensity. She quickly left the house and went to her brother's workplace, but he wasn't there either. The only person she saw was Sheska who told her he had left a while ago in a hurry. She began to panic. Kat left headquarters and tried to think of other places he might be. As she ran by a telephone box, she saw someone lying on the ground in a puddle of blood and her heart filled with dread.

"Bro…" she whispered and ran over to the body. To her despair, she saw she was right. "Bro!" she shouted, shaking him. "Open your eyes. Please!" Tears began building up and streaming down her face of her own accord. "You can't… no… you can't!" She placed her hands over his chest and they began to spark as she used her alchemy to try to push blood through his heart to get it going again. It was a technique she had been working on but hadn't quite perfected. Now though, she could only pray it would work.

Slowly his eyes opened and he managed to start moving his mouth. "Kat, you mustn't go looking for the homunculi. I don't want you to end up like me. Take care of Roy….he's going to need your help now more than ever. Take care my sister….I love you, Elysia and Gracia more than anything. Take care of them….please," he said softly as his life slowly ebbed away once again.

"Bro… please don't… don't leave me," Kat whispered, her tears dripping on his face.

But no matter how much she pleaded, her brother's eyes would not, nor would they ever, open again. Kat hugged her brother's body against her own, not even caring that the blood was getting all over her uniform. She just continued to sit there in the dark, holding her brother, and crying until she couldn't anymore.

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CM: ..............................I don't really know what to say. So I'm going to take a moment of silence for our beloved Hughes. Rest in peace, dear friend. You were and always will be awesome.


	11. Promises Betrayed in Blood

**Promises Betrayed in Blood**

The next morning the command center was bustling with activity as Hughes's wife called asking about her husband and her sister in law because neither one had returned the night before. Roy Mustang arrived in the middle of all this and set out immediately after hearing that the two of them were missing.

He and Hawkeye split up going in different directions both looking for any sign of the Hughes siblings. After several minutes he found Kat asleep on the ground next to the bloody corpse of Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes.

Roy felt his blood run cold and he almost forgot to breathe. He couldn't believe what he was seeing and was sure that he had walked into some sort of nightmare. Distantly he heard Hawkeye call to him but didn't even register her presence until she was right beside him.

"What happened here?" she asked in shock. Roy didn't answer but continued to stare. Riza went over to Kat and attempted to lift her up and Kat suddenly jerked away.

"Get away," she whispered.

"Lt. Kathleen, please, let go of him," Hawkeye told her.

"I said get away!" Kat shouted.

"There's nothing you can do for him now. He's…"

"No! He's not… he's not…" Kat whispered, clinging to her brother. She had a hope in the back of her mind that, if she held on just a little bit longer, he would wake up and smile at her.

Roy finally came to his senses, bending down he grabbed onto Kat's arm and spoke to her softly. "Kat we'll take care of your brother, there's nothing you can do for him. I don't want to think of what is right now either but if we can't get him to the headquarters then there will be no hope," Roy told her anguish dripping on every word.

Kat was still for a moment. Her face was hidden in the shadows of her hair so her expression was indiscernible. Then her muscles slackened and she reluctantly released her hold on her brother's body and she lowered her head in defeat.

"Hawkeye take Hughes back to headquarters and alert the officials to what has happened. I'm going to take Kat home and break the news to his family," Roy said standing up with Kat held firmly in his arms. Hawkeye agreed and without a word picked up the dead Hughes and left.

What happened afterward was all a blur to Kat. All she could remember was being led somewhere, and then she must have gotten clean somehow because at one point she noticed that her clothes were no longer covered with blood. How many minutes or hours passed, she wasn't sure.

"Lieutenant…" Kat looked over to see Riza standing in the doorway of her room looking solemn. "It's time."

"I'm not going," Kat murmured looking away.

"You won't even go to your brother's own funeral?" Kat didn't answer but looked out the window.

"This may be your only chance to say goodbye to your brother. Will you not take it?" Riza asked. When Kat said nothing she walked up and stooped down so she was face to face with her. "You do realize that if Elly was here she'd probably smack you upside the head for acting like this. You know how she hates seeing you all depressed."

Kat's eyes widened and she looked up at Riza. "Let's go," Riza told her softly. Kat closed her eyes before getting up and following Riza to the car where Roy was also waiting.

She stayed silent throughout everything. The ride, the funeral, even when she heard her niece's cries for them to stop burying her father. It was probably the quietest anyone had ever heard her. Slowly, it sunk in that she would never hear her brother's kind words, or his overly joyful face. But she didn't cry. She couldn't. She didn't have any tears left.

Two days later Lieutenant Hawkeye walked into Roy's office carrying some more paper work just like always. "Colonel, sir. If you don't mind my saying I've noticed that Lieutenant Kathleen hasn't been eating or sleeping properly since the funeral and she's been holding herself up in the records room." Roy grunted barely listening to what she was saying. "I've also noticed that you haven't spoken to or even looked at her since the funeral either. Sir, I believe that what the two of you need right now is each other."

Roy's eyes narrowed. "I can't," Roy said finally.

"Sir?"

There had been a number of reasons why Roy wouldn't approach Kat. One was that she was now a living reminder of the friend he had just lost. Even when Hughes was still alive, Roy would always find it uncanny how similar the two were. Another was that he wasn't sure how to approach her anymore.

"How can I possibly face her?" Roy asked in a near whispered. "What am I supposed to tell her? That everything will be fine, that she has nothing to worry about? No… that's the last thing she needs."

"You're right she doesn't need to be told all that. What she does need is a friend right now. Just be there for her….you are one of the only people who really understands what she's going through right now after all," Hawkeye replied. Roy sat there for several minutes before Riza walked up to him and smacked him across the face. "Forgive me sir but if I remember correctly you are the only one that Brigadier General Hughes ever said he trusted with the well being of his sister. Is this how you are going to interpret that trust?"

Roy stared at her for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. "You really know how to knock some sense into this miserable fool, Riza."

"Just doing my duties, sir," she said before walking out the door.

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It was very late and Kat was asleep against a bookshelf amongst scattered papers and records. Sheska had gone home hours prior, telling Kat not to work herself to death. She stirred when she felt someone tap her shoulder and whispered for her to wake up. She opened her eyes and groggily looked up.

Her eyes instantly flew wide opened when she saw the face of her brother smiling down at her. "How you doing kiddo?"

"Bro…" she whispered. Her mind felt like it was in a fog and she wondered if she was dreaming. "I… I thought you were…"

"Come on, do you really think I'd really leave my one and only little sister?" He asked her.

She looked down guiltily. "Well…"

"It doesn't really matter I guess. I have something I want to show you, it should help Roy rise in the ranks a little too," Hughes said smiling. He gently grabbed onto her arms and helped her stand up. "Come on. As soon as we get this done we can go see my adorable daughter and gorgeous wife."

A weak smile passed over Kat's weary face and she nodded. "Okay." She followed him out of the library, not noticing the smirk that flitted across his lips.

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"I'm sorry, sir, but Lt. Kathleen isn't here," the soldier told him.

"Where did she go?" Roy asked suddenly worried.

"Well sir I saw her leave just a few minutes ago with someone who looked an awful lot like Brigadier General Hughes. But that's impossible….right?" the soldier asked scratching his head.

He glanced up only to see that the Colonel was already gone. The moment he heard that she left with someone who looked like Hughes he knew that she was in trouble. He asked every officer he came across if they had seen Kat and if so which way she had gone. "I already lost Hughes to these people…I won't lose Kat to them as well," he declared angrily.

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"Bro, what are we doing here?" Kat asked him as her brother led her through the furnace room under central headquarters.

It was sweltering hot and she was already breaking out into a sweat. "What, don't you trust me?" Suddenly she felt pain lance across her face as the back of his hand swiftly met her cheek. "You really are a pest, you know that? Always asking questions. How did I manage to survive growing up with you?"

Kat put a hand over her stinging cheek as she looked up at her brother's smiling face. "…What? Bro, this isn't like you…"

"Then maybe you didn't know me as well as you thought," he interrupted her. "Yes, I said and did what I could to make myself out to be a good older brother. But dealing with a brat like you, it was a miracle. And don't think I'm the only one who thinks that too. You're just a pest to everyone you meet. The only reason I or anyone else is nice to you is because they're sorry for you. Kind of hard not to be considering how pathetic you are."

"No," Kat said shaking her head, her breathing getting heavier with the growing heat. "That's not true."

"Really? Why do you think the Colonel Mustang is always sending you off to work every chance he gets? Because he can't stand you. The only reason he has you working for him is because you happen to be related to his best friend and because you can use alchemy. Beyond that, you're useless to him." Kat lowered her head. "Oh what, you going to start crying again?"

"Take it off," Kat whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Take off that face!"

Hughes suddenly screamed as two shards suddenly pierced his eyes. Kat had used the beads of sweat of her forehead as a weapon. "You really shouldn't have done that kid….it might have been easier on yourself if you had just kept believing that I was your dearly departed brother," Envy sneered as he turned back to normal.

He then wasted no time punching her in the gut and leaving his fist there. "Heh, in this place you are as helpless as a little child." He turned his arm into a weapon and went about slashing her arms, legs, side, and any other part he could reach. Then he once more took on the face of her brother. "You won't have to fret any longer kid cause I'm going to send you to see your brother." With that he knocked her backwards till she hit the wall and then pushed his blade through her left shoulder.

Kat let out a scream as she felt the blade dig deeper in to her flesh. "Yes that's right. Scream all you want. No one's coming to help you."

"Wrong," Kat distantly heard a voice say. She heard a snapping noise echo in her ears, followed by a loud roar of flames and Envy's screams as he was engulfed by them. He withdrew from Kat and she slumped onto the ground, clutching her shoulder in pain.

The screams died away as Envy dashed through an opening and escaped. The next thing she noticed was a hand on her shoulder and a kind voice calling out to her. "Lieutenant, say something, dang it. Stay with me alright, it's Roy. I won't let you leave just yet, at least let me apologize for the last few days," Roy Mustang said picking her up and taking her to the infirmary. "You're not dying lieutenant. That's an order."

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CM: Will Kat and Roy be able to help each other get over their loss? And what's happening with Elly and Scar? Stay tuned!


	12. Bonding Time

**Bonding Time**

The next morning Roy was in the medical wing checking up on Kat. "How is she?" Roy asked the nurse.

"Her wounds weren't fatal," the nurse informed him. "We've already patched up the worst of it. Though it might be best for her to stay in recovery for a day or two until her physical health is back to normal."

"May I see her?" he asked.

"She's asleep right now but I don't see why not," the nurse answered before leading him to her room. As he walked in he saw her lying there covered in bandages, sleeping peacefully….probably the first time in days. The nurse left with a warning not to wake her up and Roy nodded his consent.

He sat down next to the bed and thought about what might have happened had Riza not knocked some sense into him and then go to see her. "It would have been my fault had she died as well," he muttered angrily under his breath. "I don't think Hughes would ever forgive me if I had allowed his only sister to die shortly after his own death."

He heaved a heavy sigh as he stared down at her. Her left shoulder was heavily bandaged, and she had bandages on her arms and legs as well. "I owe you an apology Lieutenant," Roy said hoarsely. "I was so preoccupied with my own suffering that I shoved you away the moment you needed me the most. I truly am a despicable person."

"…Don't say that."

He glanced up to see that Kat's eyes were opened and were watching him. "I'm sorry if I woke you," he said standing up. Kat slowly sat up but Roy stopped her. "Don't, you need to rest." She looked as if she might sit up anyway but she did as she was told and lay back down. "I'll leave so you can get some rest," Roy said and began to walk out but was stopped when he heard he speak.

"You know…" she said softly. "A part of me knew that it wasn't him. But I wanted it to be him so badly that I almost didn't care. I'm pathetic."

"It's understandable…you were alone with no one to help you in your one time of need. I shouldn't have ignored you those first couple of days….its my fault you were in that situation in the first place," Roy explained sadly sitting back down.

"I guess we're both a little to blame," Kat said with a weak smile.

Roy said nothing for a while. Then he said slowly, "I'll make it up to you. I'll smoke out Hughes killers and make them pay. But I might need your help."

"You don't even have to ask," Kat said looking down at her injured shoulder. "Roy… for my brother's sake and my own, I'll make sure you get to the top. I'll do whatever it takes."

Roy paused for a moment before his face slid into a slight grin. "I expect nothing but the best from you Lieutenant Kathleen. Report to me the moment you are released from the medical center…I will be needing your help."

"Yes, sir, Colonel," Kat said with a smile. "I promise to live up to your expectations."

Roy managed to smile as well, and as he got up to leave the infirmary, he picked up Kat's hand and planted a small kiss squarely on the back. "Just make sure you recover quickly," he said softly not missing the pink tinge that graced her cheeks. Then he left feeling like the weight in his chest became a little lighter.

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It was early in the morning when Elly woke up feeling like the wind had been knocked out of her. It was the same feeling she got every time her people had been injured or killed and she was really worried. Looking around their new encampment she saw that nobody had been injured or killed. "I must be imagining things," she muttered to herself seeing all the happy people around her.

"Finally you're awake!" A voice called out to her. She looked to see Leo and Rick running towards her. "The leader wants to talk with you. He said it was important. Scar is already there."

Elly heaved a sigh but nodded her understanding and followed the two to the leader's tent. "You wanted to see me sir?" Elly asked stepping through the flap.

"It's about time you got here. We've been waiting forever," Scar muttered with a glare on his face.

"In the last storm we've had a food shortage," the leader explained to the pair. "And out here, game is very hard to find. However, there is a town not far off from here. I was hoping that you and your brother could go and get enough food to last us for a couple of days until we make it to the encampment. I know this is a dangerous assignment, but given that both of you have experience with the cities, I trust you both."

Elly's and Scar's face both showed that they weren't too thrilled with the idea of going into the town together. "Sir, are you sure we can do this together?" Elly asked glancing back at her brother and seeing the rift that had grown between them.

"I can do this thing on my own. I don't need any help from her," Scar answered angrily.

"This is more than just an errand to help your people," the leader told them. "It is for your own benefits as well as ours."

"Teacher, just what do you mean by that?"

"You both will come to understand in time," the leader said. "Of course, you won't be forced to go. It is entirely up to the two of you. I hope, however that you will consider what is at stake."

Scar didn't answer but glared down at the ground thinking about what he was going to do. "I know I can do this no problem….what about you brother?" Elly asked turning her attention to Scar. "Can you deal with working with me for more than a few minutes?"

Scar stood up and began walking out of the tent. "If you're coming, then hurry up," he said shortly. Even though he wasn't looking, he knew the leader was smiling.

Elly followed him out the door and they traveled together in the one vehicle that was available to them. It took a few hours of traveling in silence but they eventually arrived at the town and started searching around for a grocery store.

"Hey brother check this out…large cakes for $10 each," Elly exclaimed excitedly as she came across a dessert shop.

"This isn't a field trip," Scar said not even looking at the cakes in the shop. "We're here for one thing and one thing only. And that's supplies so that our people can survive."

Suddenly a person with a long coat bumped hard into Elly. "Pardon," he said gruffly before continuing on.

Elly watched the man walk away with a feeling that something was wrong but when she turned to talk to her brother about him she saw that he was twenty feet ahead of her. "Ack, brother wait up. Hey come on I wasn't really going to buy any I just wanted to look at them jeeze," Elly called out rushing to catch up with him.

Scar ignored her and looked around. "There's a market just down that way." He observed. "We can get food there." The two of them looked at the produce. It was good and the price seemed fair. They weren't that surprised since it was a fairly rural town.

"That will be five dollars," the apple salesman told them.

"Right Elly where's the money?" Scar asked holding out his hand. Elly reached into her pocket and pulled out ten dollars happily handing it to the man before they continued on. They stopped next at a shop that sold vegetables. It was five dollars per bucket of veggies so they decided to buy three buckets. This time when Elly reached for the money she noticed they only had four dollars left. "What happened to all the money? You didn't spend it on anything stupid did you?" Scar asked angrily.

"Do you honestly think that I'd be that stupid? I haven't bought anything besides what we grabbed for the people okay," Elly declared angrily. She thought back to try to figure out where the rest of it went until she remembered the man with the gruff voice. "Great I knew that guy was shady looking. He must have swiped most of our money," Elly declared face palming.

"What guy?" Scar asked glaring at her.

"There was this guy back where the cakes were that had a gruff voice and a long coat who bumped into me. He must have taken the money as soon as he bumped me."

"You couldn't even do something so simple as take care of the only money that we had?" Scar asked, his anger growing.

"Um, excuse me," a small voice said. They looked to see a sinewy looking youth with scraggly clothes, and unkempt hair. Under his arm he was holding a ball. "Sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear. You say you're in need of money?"

"Or food," Elly conceded. Scar stared off in the other direction not wanting anything to do with the two.

"Well my dad owns a shop that sells all sorts of foods if you want to talk to him I'm sure we can work something out," the kid explained. Elly smiled and readily agreed Scar tagging along reluctantly.

They reached the shop and the owner came up with the idea that if they helped save his shop he'd give them all the food they needed. "Alright how do we do that?" Elly asked excitedly.

"Well we kind of made a last ditch effort to save the shop by getting into a soccer game with out debtors….but we need a couple extra players or we'll have to forfeit," the owner explained.

"Soccer? I'm not sure I can be much help with that but I'll sure give it a try. You play it by kicking a ball into a net right….and don't use your hands right?" Elly asked scratching her head.

"Pretty much," the boy said nodding. "And you two look like a couple of strong players. With you two, we'll smoke them."

"I really don't have time for this," Scar said turning around.

Elly reached out and grabbed her brother's arm. "This may be our only choice brother. We don't have any more money nor do we have any means of obtaining any. This is our only option to get the food we need."

Scar let out a long breath of irritation. But as much as he hated to admit it, he knew his sister was right. "Very well," Scar grated out.

Seeing that the bigger man for one reason or another went into a state of reluctant acceptance, the boy grinned. "Great, then let's head out to the field."

Elly grinned, "I know Kat would have a field day if she heard about this thing." They went down to the field and got there just in time for the game to start.

"Who are those two?" one of the players asked.

"They decided to join to help out dad's shop," the kid explained.

"Really, all right then we got ourselves a chance….though is that girl good enough?" another one asked.

"You don't have to worry about me…I'll be just fine," Elly said with a grin. "Now let's get this game started."

"Alright, I want a clean game," the referee said to all of them as the two captain's faced off against each other. "Ready…. Begin!" He tossed the ball up and let it drop back down to the ground. And the game was on. It was intense.

The players on both sides fought tooth and nail. Half way through the game, it began to rain causing the ground to become slick with mud. At half time, the storeowner's team was down by three points. "This isn't good," the shopkeeper's son muttered.

"No problem, it's only three points. We can get them back in no time," Elly said trying to bring their spirits up.

"You're kidding right…it's half-time already."

"So that just means that we have half the time we did to gain three points. It's still plenty of time. Besides I've got a great idea….but I'll need a lot of help from you brother," Elly said getting in close.

"Whatever, let's hear it already," Scar said rolling his eyes.

"Well they always get on Scar right? Here's the plan we pass the ball down the field don't pass it to Scar at all okay."

"How does that make me the one you need help from," Scar asked angrily.

"You're always so pessimistic, just let me finish alright. So we keep it away from them and then as soon as they pull their guys off of Scar we wait until he's near the goal and get it to him. They won't see it coming and he'll be right there to score a goal."

The boy grinned. "Let's do it." The team followed through with their strategy and sure enough it worked. And soon they were pulling up in the points.

The opposing team didn't take too kindly to this turn of events. At one point when the ball was passed to Elly, who was in turn supposed to pass it to Scar, two of the largest members of the team charged at her from behind in an attempted to blow her over.

Just as she turned and saw them almost top of her, a dark blur collided into the side of one, causing him to tumble into his partner and the two fell into the mud. Scar went down on one knee clutching his shoulder and panting heavily.

The opposing team called a time out to get their teammates back together and Elly rushed to see if Scar was okay. "You doing okay?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, you should really watch what you're doing though."

"I guess this really is my fault huh," Elly replied dejectedly.

"Alright well you guys only have enough time for one more play," the referee explained walking over to them.

"Great, now Scar's hurt what are we going to do?" one of players asked.

"Just let Elly take the shot," Scar said looking in the opposite direction.

"What? She hasn't made a shot yet and you want her to take it?"

"What have you got to lose?"

"Alright let's do it." The whistle blew signaling the end of the break and the final play began.

The ball traveled down the field from person to person until they made it halfway. Then they got the ball to Elly who dodged a few of the guys and lined up for the shot. The moment her foot made contact with the ball another foot came out and scratched across the front of her other leg tripping her.

The ball went flying through the air and went through the goal missing the goalies fingers by inches. Elly glanced up just as the ball landed on the ground not knowing if she made it or not.

The referee blew his whistle and the game was over. The shopkeeper's team had won. All of the team's players rushed over to Elly and lifted her up out of the mud, hugging her, slapping her on the back, and congratulating her on her winning goal. Scar stood by watching with a solemn look on his face.

After they had all gotten cleaned up and the team began celebrating with a party, the Shopkeeper and his son had supplied Scar and Elly with more than enough food to share amongst their people. "Thanks again for helping us out," the kid said. "You two were great out there."

"Thanks, but I didn't really do much…it was Scar that did most of the work. It was mostly my fault that we lost our money in the first place after all," Elly said rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment.

"What's done is done," Scar told her and turned to leave. "We best head back. Everyone is waiting."

"Come back anytime," the boy called out to them as they walked down the street with their wares. "We'll give you a discount anytime!"

Elly waved goodbye and followed her brother through the streets limping as she went.

As they were making their way out of town, Scar suddenly stopped.

"What's up? Why are we stopping?" Elly asked stopping next to him and looking up into his face.

"You wanted to try the cakes here, didn't you?" Scar asked her before tossing her the bag of money. "If you want to, now will be your last chance to do so."

Elly looked at him confused but she smiled all the same and went to get a cake big enough to share with her brother on the way home…if he wanted some. As she exited the bakery she was stopped by these two large looking men, one fat the other skinnier, who both had evil smiles on their faces.

"Where you going sweety? Want some help with that cake?" the fat one asked.

The skinny one reached down to grab it but found a foot firmly embedded in his stomach. "I don't have time for you losers so just get lost," Elly said putting her foot down and wincing as her weight went to her injured leg.

The fat one noticed this reaction and grabbed her foot with immense force squeezing hard and bringing her to her knees in seconds. "I like girls who enjoy fighting back," the fat one said with a manic look on his face.

Suddenly his eyes widened and he let out a grunt of pain before falling forward onto the ground. "Keep your disgusting hands off my sister," Scar growled at the two. The sudden appearance of the bulky Ishbalen changed their minds about making trouble and the two quickly scampered off.

Elly managed to stand up and grinned sheepishly at him, "Sorry about that brother…I just didn't want to start a scene and hand to hand isn't easy to use with an injured leg. I did save the cake though," she told him with a smile. She held up the cake and could have sworn that the corners of his mouth twitched.

"Let's go home," he said helping her to the car.

As the two of them drove out of the town, the rain stopped and the clouds broke revealing a warm sun as if the sky was celebrating as well.

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SLAM! Lust looked over to see Envy skulk into the room looking like he was ready to tear something apart. "What's the matter Envy, did you tire of your little game already?"

"SHUT IT. I didn't expect to have that Colonel come in just as I was getting to the good part," Envy growled sitting down heavily.

"Well, in all consideration you had no business going after the Lt. Colonel's sister in the first place," Lust said with a small smile.

"I was looking for a little fun," Envy said with a sneer. "People are so easy to mess with after losing someone close to them."

"Sometimes I really don't understand what goes on in that head of yours Envy," Lust replied patting Gluttony's head. "Besides if that little girl gave us any trouble all we really have to do is put that friend of hers in trouble and we'll be able to control her every move."

"Heh, and you were talking about me. You seem to enjoy manipulating a person's every move, Lust," Envy said with a grin. "Though I love seeing people in emotional torment, at least I'm not a control freak."

"Whatever interests you Envy. We have our own methods of reaching the same goal, but as long as those girls don't get in the way of the Elric brothers we'll be just fine."

"Can I eat them?" Gluttony asked excitedly.

"No Gluttony," Lust admonished. "While we don't want them interfering with the Elric brothers, they could possibly be useful to us in other ways."

"Well, if it gets down to it that we have to destroy them, I want to personally take care of that nosy one's sister," Envy spoke up from the window.

"That's fine with me….but I'd be quite happy to destroy those two Ishbalan's myself," Lust admonished. She smiled and patted Gluttony's head again. "Get in contact with Pride and Sloth…we're going to need their help to find out where that Ishbalan girl went to exactly. As long as we can keep tabs on those two we shouldn't have any troubles."

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CM: Sorry for not posting sooner. It's been a busy summer. Thank you for your patience. Stay tuned! :)


	13. On the Rebound

**On the Rebound**

Kat was sitting in the infirmary reading her book when suddenly her door crashed open and Kat nearly fell off her bed in surprise. "Where are the Elric brothers?" a woman shouted. Behind her stood a man with the same body mass as Major Armstrong.

Kat stared at the pair. "They left a few days ago," Kat said once she found her voice again.

"Where?" the woman asked harshly.

"Uh, I'm not sure. They were staying in the room up above," Kat said all the while wondering who this person was.

"Right let's go Honey," the woman said turning around. "Oh and get well soon," she added as she slammed the door.

A few minutes later the pair burst through the door to the room upstairs. Inside was Colonel Mustang, Lieutenant Hawkeye, Lieutenant Ross, and her partner Block. They stared at the pair in surprise as they walked over to the map saw something they were looking for and left.

"I'm terribly sorry about that Miss Kathleen," the nurse told her apologetically as Kat got changed into her uniform behind a curtain.

"Don't worry about it, I was just startled," Kat assured her.

"But Miss Kathleen, you really should probably stay in medical care for a couple more days."

"I already told you, I feel just fine," Kat told her coming out from behind the curtain clad in uniform.

"Well, at least take it easy for the next few days then," the nurse told her.

"Of course," Kat said with a nod.

Just then Roy stepped into the room and was happy to see that Kat was up and about. "Feeling better, Lieutenant?" he asked.

"Yes sir," Kat said with a salute. "I'm ready to return to my duties at any time."

"I was informed that a woman and a man who were looking for the Elric brothers came in here earlier. I don't suppose they gave you any information on who they were?"

"No sir, they came and went," Kat informed. "Though… the woman looked vaguely familiar."

"I see," Roy said closing his eyes.

"Sir, would you like me to try and search for them?"

"No you need to stay here for now," Roy answered. "I need you to come with me when I transfer to Central."

"As you wish, sir," Kat said bowing her head.

"Come along then," Roy told her before turning around and walked out with Hawkeye at his heels to make a scheduled meeting with Major Armstrong.

Kat stared for a moment before following after him. Roy led them to an alleyway where Major Armstrong was waiting. "Lieutenant Kathleen," Roy said in a commanding voice. "I want you to stand here and keep watch. Make sure no one interrupts us."

"Of course," Kat said with a nod. And so, Kat stood outside the alleyway while Mustang, Hawkeye, and Armstrong stepped into the alleyway and began talking in hushed voices which Kat was unable to hear.

As soon as they finished Armstrong left expressing his happiness that she had recovered so well. Then he waved goodbye and headed back toward headquarters. "Lieutenant did anyone come by while we were talking? Anyone at all?" Roy asked as he and Hawkeye walked out of the alleyway.

Kat shook her head. "No one passed by the area, and I didn't see any signs of anyone hiding anywhere."

"Good, let's get back to Central then. I have a meeting with General Hakuro," Roy walking past her and she followed, walking behind Hawkeye.

Kat remembered her brother talking about Roy getting transferred to Central, so it only made sense that he would want to meet with the general in charge of the place. When they made it back to the office, Sheska was there.

"Good evening, Colonel," Sheska said with a respectful bow. "And good to see that you've recovered Lt. Kathleen."

"Thank you," Kat said with a smile.

"What is it you want Sheska?" Roy asked not unkindly.

"I want to know why you aren't working on Lieuten….I mean Brigadeer General Hughes murder?" Sheska asked.

"That case has been officially closed," Roy replied.

"But you have the authority to reopen it," Sheska pleaded.

Suddenly the door opened and two men stepped through. "I see you're working as tirelessly as ever, Colonel Mustang."

"It is good to see you General Hakuro," Roy said saluting him. Hawkeye and Kat did the same.

"If the rumors are true we'll be seeing a lot more of each other," Hakuro said smiling though not in what Kat would consider a friendly manner. "Though it will take more than rumors to get you back in Central."

"If you support my transfer General then I'll be sure to work for you with all my heart and soul," Roy requested bowing.

"I like your attitude Colonel. Keep that up and I just might take you up on that offer," Hakuro answered before leaving. After he left Sheska's eyes began to water and she excused herself before rushing out the door in tears.

"When my transfer is complete will you accompany me?" Roy asked out loud.

"You know the answer to that," Riza said without looking at him.

Kat was sad to see Shaska leave like that but she knew that going after her was something she could not do. "My answer is the same," she said in a placid tone.

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A few days later the Colonel was back at Eastern and had just received his transfer notice. "Lieutenant Kathleen it is time that we return to Central. I have a list of names of people I would like for you to call to my office. We leave as soon as everyone is ready," Roy told her with his commanding voice.

"You got it," Kat said cheerfully, taking the list and heading to the nearest phone. "Hmm, I guess I should call Breda first." She called up and the moment the phone picked up she heard quite a bit of noise.

"Hello?" a voice asked.

"Hi, is Breda there by any chance?"

"Yeah he's here hold on a sec," the man answered. She heard the guy shout something over the tumult before another voice came on the line.

"This is Breda. What do you want?"

"Hey Breda, its Kat," Kat said cheerfully into the phone.

"Kat? What are you calling for?" Breda asked curiously.

"Just to let you know you're in big trouble with the Colonel and he wants you in his office right now."

"Huh!? What'd I do?" Breda said in a panic.

"Hehe, just kidding, you're not in trouble," Kat said. "But you might be if you don't get to the Colonel's office quick. You know how he hates to wait."

Breda told her that he'd be down there in no time and hung up before sprinting to the Colonel's office. "I don't want to make him wait too long. I hate it when that guy gets angry," he muttered to himself.

"Let's see, looks like Havok's next on the list," Kat said dialing a number.

"Hello. Lt. Havok speaking. Let's make this quick, I got some very important business going on."

"Aw, even more important than one of your friends, Havok?" Kat said in a tone of playfulness.

"What are you doing calling over here? I figured you'd be helping out the Colonel with something important," Havok told her while flirting with the girl in front of him.

"Well, there's a really cute girl outside the Colonel's office who happens to be waiting for you to show up," Kat said casually. "But I guess since you're so busy…"

"Wait…don't say another word. I'll be over there in a jiffy just don't let that prize leave," Havok demanded before hanging up the phone and dashing toward Roy's office.

Kat shook her head and sighed. "Well, that was easy enough. Next up, Fury… hmm, he should be off fixing a phone right now. Which one was it? Oh yeah!" She dialed the number and sure enough she heard the timid voice of Fury answer. "Hey Fury," Kat greeted.

"Hello, Lieutenant. Um, is there something you needed?"

"How fast can you run?" Kat asked him.

"Excuse me?"

"You need to run to the Colonel's office right now. We're timing you, so good luck." And she hung up the phone.

Fury panicked and told the soldier next to him goodbye before running as fast as he could to the Colonel's office. He was running so fast that he had to stop more than once to catch his breath. "Why does this always happen to me?" he wined to himself.

"And finally…" Kat said dialing one last number. Ring… ring…

"Lt. Hawkeye," a stern female voice answered.

"The Colonel wants you in his office immediately," Kat said in a straightforward tone.

"Understood," Riza answered before hanging up.

"That takes care of that," Kat said.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant?" Kat turned to see Fulman.

"Is the Colonel in his office?" Kat smiled.

"Sure is, go right on in."

"Thank you," he said with a salute before heading into Roy's office while Kat stood outside and waited for everyone to show up.

The first one to appear was Breda who was sweating profusely, "Kat is the Colonel angry with me for not getting here earlier?"

"Actually, you're one of the first to make it, congrats," Kat told him with a smile.

The second to show up was Havok who was looking frantically right and left. "So where is she?" he asked eagerly.

"Right here," Kat said folding her hands behind her. Havok collapsed as if some proverbial rock had landed on top of him.

"You're kidding, right?" he said wearily.

"My brother always used to tell me that I was cute," Kat said in her defense.

"Yeah, and you are cute, but your brother always forbade me from asking you out," he explained heaving a sigh.

Almost immediately afterward Fury came tearing into the hallway and nearly collided with Breda in his haste to make it to the door. "D-Did I-I make i-it in t-time?" he panted leaning against the wall to keep from collapsing.

"Wow Fury," Kat said checking her watch. "That was incredible. I did not know you could run that fast."

"Honestly Lt. Kathleen, must you use such methods when summoning your fellow officers?" Hawkeye said approaching the group. Just by looking at the worn out men she guess what had happened.

"I was only following the Colonel's wishes," Kat said. "He wanted them here asap and I made it happen. Besides, I only tease the people I care about."

"I'd hate to see how badly you tease the people you don't care about," Breda muttered.

"Now we'd better not keep the Colonel waiting. Let's go in," Hawkeye said opening the door. "Sir Lieutenant Hawkeye reporting for duty."

All of them lined up in front of Roy's desk. Roy addressed everyone there, finally ending with Fulman. "You all will be transferring to Central with me. If you have objections get over them. That is all." Kat saluted along with everyone else, a big grin set on her face.

*SLAM* "Good morning everybody. We have a lot of things that must be completed today so hop to it," Armstrong said barging in through the door early the morning after Roy and his men moved in to their office in Central.

"You've got a sick sense of humor Breda," Havok said giving the fake Armstrong a slight slap on the face.

"Well you never know when he'll pop up so it's better to just be prepared," Breda answered taking off his Armstrong get up.

"The Major is away on an investigation with the officer assigned to the court martial office, the man who's taken over for Brigadeer General Hughes," Hawkeye told him. Kat nearly ceased her unpacking but continued, listening intently.

"By the way, who is that guy?" Havok asked curiously.

"I believe his name is Archer."

"Lt. Coloenl Frank Archer," Fulman said suddenly. "He's a man dedicated to the military."

"I don't understand what does that…" Fury started. "I mean that he's a man who enjoys war."

Kat had also heard of this man named Frank Archer. And if the stories held true, she didn't like the idea of him taking over her brother's job. After she got done unpacking and had gotten herself settled into Central, she found herself wondering what everyone else was doing while she was here.

She went to Roy's office but found he wasn't there. So she tried searching around until she had the notion to check the Furher's office. She was about to knock but heard Roy's voice speaking and decided to wait and listen instead.

"It's a camp in the south, in Kishiwa, full of the disenfranchised. What of it sir?"

"We have reason to believe Scar may be hiding out there. Take him down Mustang."

"Sir!" Roy said in acceptance. Kat backed away from the door before running off down the hallway. One thing was for sure, something was up, and she wanted to know what. On her way out of the Central building, she accidentally ran into Havok.

"Hey where are you off to Kat?" he asked stopping her before she reached the door. "Did the colonel give you a break already?"

"Not exactly," Kat told him, trying to move past him. "But there's something I need to do."

"Whoa, whoa," Havok told her, grabbing her sleeve. "Hold on a minute. I can't just let you take off like that. Not after everything that's been happening."

"Sorry Havok," Kat said apologetically before using her alchemy to pin him against the wall with ice needles.

"Hey what did you do that for? You know Mustang is going to be furious when he finds out you're gone," Havok shouted at her.

"Sorry Havok but I need to do this," Kat replied putting a sticky note on his forehead before running out the door.

Hawkeye, Fury, Breda, and Fulman were all relaxing in a room when Colonel Mustang walked in. "We're moving out," he told them. "To the city of Kishiwa's western slum. That's where Scar is. If he surrenders, great. If not, we take him down and anyone else who gets in the way."

Suddenly Havok walked in with tears in his uniform. "We have a bit of a problem…" he said seriously.

"What happened Havok?" Roy asked worriedly.

Havok held up a slip of paper and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well you see Kat just walked out of here about an hour ago. She didn't say where she was going but she did leave this note," Havok told him.

"Let me see that," Roy said taking the piece of paper and he read it out loud. It said: "Meet you in Kishiwa. Be back soon. –Kat P.S. Please don't blame Havok."

Roy crumpled the piece of paper in his hand as anger lines popped up all over his head. "That girl I swear," he muttered angrily. "One of these days she's going to get herself killed."

"Sir she did say that she is going to meet us in Kishiwa so why don't we go as planned and wait for her to show up," Hawkeye told him trying to calm him down. "There is nothing we can do to find her considering the fact that once she sets her mind to something nothing is going to stop her."

"You're right. Let's head out for Kishiwa. I just hope you don't do anything stupid, Lieutenant," Roy muttered.

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CM: What is Kat planning? What unforseen events will this cause? Stay tuned!


	14. An Unforseen Turn

**An Unforeseen Turn**

Kat had discovered where Major Armstrong and Lt. Colonel Archer were headed. She had taken a train to the area they were investigating but travel under cover with a dark cloak. She discreetly went around asking for information regarding the two military men and the Elric brothers.

She was given information by the dock men that he saw two people who matched her description as well as a girl was accompanying them. Kat thanked the man before running to a secluded beach. There she used her alchemy to make an ice bridge and made her way to the island on foot. There she watched from the shadows the Elric brothers, Winry, and their teacher as well as the homunculus they called Wrath.

She was about to help them, when something else caught her eye. Movement of something running off. She hadn't been the only one watching them. She swiftly gave chase after the thing, in case it might be a threat to her friends.

She followed the strange creature through the woods for several minutes before coming to a clearing where two men were waiting for it. The creature she had been chasing looked like a cross between a lizard and a man and the two men who were waiting for him both had evil grins on their faces.

"So what is going on down there?" the tall man with short hair asked.

"It appears that those two boys and their teacher found another Homunculus, Greed," the lizard man replied.

"Good, when we get the chance, we'll take the kid for ourselves," The man named Greed said with a laugh. "And if those two brats get in the way, we'll just have to exterminate them."

This isn't good, Kat thought. She had to warn them. But before she could move from her spot, she felt a hand grab her shoulder tightly. "Well, well, what do we have here?" Kat looked up and almost gasped in shock when she saw the face of a man she hadn't seen in years. Zolf Kimbly, the Crimson Alchemist.

"I never thought I'd ever see you again shrimp," Kimbly smirked. "You always did have a knack for eavesdropping. This time it's going to cost you." He forced her into the clearing hanging tightly to her shoulders as he went.

Kat, who was very well aware of Kimbly's abilities, decided not to resist for the time being. "Who is that Kimbly?" Greed asked grinning evilly at her.

"This is an old acquaintance of mine," Kimbly said with a smile.

"I see," Greed said lowering his sunglasses and looking Kat up and down. "Not bad. You're pretty easy on the eyes, doll. And what's this?" His hand reached out and pulled Kat's watch out of her pocket. "A state alchemist too, huh?"

"Wow, never thought you'd actually make it shrimp," Kimbly said in amusement. "You're big brother must've been so proud."

"Don't you talk about my brother so lightly," Kat said angrily. "And give that back," she added to Greed.

"Not a chance doll. I know what this little watch does for state alchemists and I'm not about to let you have it. Besides, it's been a while since I've had fun with a chick so I'm going to enjoy myself as much as possible," Greed said brushing one of his hands across her cheek.

Now, Kat was a pacifist, but even she knew there were times to assert herself. And this was one of them. Using Kimbly's grip on her as leverage, she tossed one of her knees up nailing Greed right in the gut. Sadly though, she watched as the pain came and gone from his face. "That was quite a kick."

"Want me to blow her up?" Kimbly asked sounding as if he enjoyed Kat's display of defiance against his boss.

"Heh, no need for that. I like a woman who can be feisty. Whaddya say doll? Why not ditch the army and join up with me?"

"No thanks," Kat told him. "My brother told me I shouldn't involve myself with Homunculi."

"He was probably right," Greed sneered. "But it's not like he can do anything about this after all, considering the fact that he bit the dust. I've got something to do before we go so it would be a good idea to get her into the boat Kimbly. That way she won't be in my way."

"You got it," Kimbly said with a smirk.

"Don't worry, cutie. We'll continue our fun later," Greed promised Kat before leaving her with Kimbly and the lizard looking guy.

"Let's go," Kimbly told her. "And don't try anything because believe me you'll be fertilizing the dirt on this island before you even get the chance."

Kat didn't say anything but allowed herself to be led to the shore where a boat was waiting along with three other people. One was a really big guy, the second was also a man but not quite as large, and the third was a woman. None of them looked human.

"What's with the girl, alchemist?" the female asked Kimbly.

"We caught her eavesdropping on our conversation. Plus, she's someone that I've known for a long time but haven't seen in a while. It's time we caught up," Kimbly answered with a smirk.

He forced her into the boat and waited for Greed to show up. It wasn't long before Greed came flying off the cliff and landed effortlessly on the boat. "Alright let's get moving," he said glancing up at the cliff and then letting his eyes settle on Kat.

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Up on the cliff Envy and Sloth were watching the group take off. "Well that's a shame, it looks like Greed got his hands on that alchemist girl," Sloth said shaking her head.

"I guess it's not too bad…considering what he does to girls. If it couldn't be me I guess Greed is the next best person," Envy smirked.

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"Well, looks like I'm gonna have to find another method," Greed said lazily as he pulled Kat's watch out and began twirling it around by its chain

"Please, give me my watch back," Kat said calmly.

"I already answered that question sweet cheeks. I'm not giving it back, it's just too important to have in the hands of an accomplished alchemist like yourself. I could be persuaded to give it back of course," he added getting in real close.

Kat turned pink but refused to back down. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction. "That watch is important to me," Kat told him. "It was given to me by my Colonel."

"I see," Greed said tossing it up in the air and catching it again. "From what I'm hearing, it sounds like this Colonel means something to you." Kat turned even redder and he grinned. "I love it when I'm right."

"For the last time, PLEASE give it back," Kat repeated.

He dangled the watch right in front of her face and swung it back and forth. "Is it really that important to you?" he asked softly.

Yes," Kat said nodding.

"Why not try and take it then?" he goaded.

"Gladly," Kat said launching herself at him before anyone could stop her, not even caring anymore that she was on a boat surrounded by chimeras and a homicidal maniac alchemist with her hands tied behind her back no less. She managed to head-butt him squarely in the chest, causing him to drop the watch.

Kimbly reached out and pulled Kat off of Greed with no effort at all. "You might not want to do that again Kitty. I don't want to send you to where your brother is," he said holding her down.

"I'm impressed chicky you actually took the bait. I'm really starting to like this kid, Kimbly. Glad you found her," Greed said getting back up with a big smile and pocketing the watch.

"You homunculi are all the same," Kat spoke through gritted teeth, looking down so that they couldn't see the tears of frustration building up in her eyes thanks to her long hair.

"Is that so?" Greed said sitting down. "And just what do you know about homunculi?"

"I know that one of them killed my brother," Kat said glaring at him.

"Yeah that did happen, didn't it? Well I can tell you this unlike the others I'm just trying to get by in this world my own way," Greed said leaning back in the boat.

"So you're not in league with them?" Kat asked him.

"Hell no," Greed said with a smirk. "In fact, I'm sworn enemies with them. So I guess that would make you and me allies, wouldn't you think?"

"Not exactly," Kat said looking to the side.

"Either way you'll be staying with us for some time so we might as well try to get along," Greed said grinning.

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Several hours later they arrived at headquarters with their special guest in tow wearing a blind fold. "Sorry about the lack of comfort there but we couldn't have you knowing where we are," Greed told her as he pushed her into a chair. Her blindfold was pulled off showing a very large room that appeared to be underground and filled to the brim with several different types of chimeras. "Welcome to your new abode sweety."

"Could you please not call me that?" She looked around and all of the people there. "None of them are human," she murmured.

"None except for Kimbly over there," Greed said with a smile. "I'm sure by now you've heard of lab Five, correct? All the people you see here were imprisoned there just like me. But thanks to those two squirts, I was released, and I gave these guys a place to call home."

Many of the chimeras nodded in agreement at this. Kat was rather astonished by this. "I guess… you're really not such a bad guy after all."

"That's right I'm not a bad guy….at least not compared to the others," Greed agreed smiling. "Kimbly we got some things to do. Tucker, keep an eye on our guest while we're out okay. Catch ya later chicky."

On his way out, he took out Kat's watch and hung it next to the door. "If you by some chance managed to get out of that chair. The watch is yours," Greed told her.

"You do realize that when you get back I'll be long gone," Kat told him.

"That's a chance I'll have to take…but in order to do that you'll have to get past Tucker, along with every other chimera standing guard," Greed reminded her. Then he disappeared up the stairs with Kimbly just behind him.

"It has been along time Lieutenant Kathleen Hughes," Tucker said coming out of the shadows in his Chimera form.

Kat's eyes widened. "You too?"

"Yes, ever since Laboratory Five, I have been in this form," Tucker said, his voice no more than a whisper. "But I can assure you my presence here is not by choice."

"So then why don't you let me out?" Kat asked him.

"I'm afraid that is not something I can do either," Tucker replied. Kat hung her head in exasperation.

"Well, since I'm here and I'm obviously not going anywhere, what the heck's been going on?"

Tucker took great pleasure in explaining what happened at Laboratory 5, the homunculi he knew about, what a homunculi was and last but not least who it was that took her brother's life. "That's all I really know," Tucker finished in his whispery voice.

"I see," Kat said staring down at the floor. "So these people are using Ed and Al to make this stone and make themselves human. Dangit, I have to help stop them."

"Why do that?" Tucker asked her.

"What do you mean?" Kat asked him incredulously.

"Don't you wish to see your brother again?"

Kat looked away from him. "Of course I do."

"If you allow those two boys to create the stone then you will be able to bring your brother back to life," Tucker whispered coming right behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

Kat was silent for a long time before saying, "I'll think about it." Even though she couldn't see him, she knew that he was smiling more than was needed. "Say Tucker, if I were by some very long stretch able to escape while you were watching over me, what would happen when Greed got back?"

"He would probably laugh at me for being so weak and would then proceed to smiling about such a feisty girl escaping his clutches," Tucker answered his face falling. "Why do you ask?"

Kat shrugged, "No reason." This would probably be her only chance to get a truck load of information. If she could be able to talk one on one with Greed, she might be able to learn something. If not… well, Ce la ve. Plus, she would feel bad about getting two people in trouble in just one day.

Even if Tucker was what he was. She would wait for her opportunity. However… she stood up and Tucker made a startled move. "Just what do you think you are doing?" He asked her.

"I'm getting my watch. If you let me take it, I'll sit back down quietly and you won't have any troubles from me. If not, I have other ways of fighting than just my alchemy. So please, I really don't want any conflict."

Tucker eyed her carefully before allowing her to grab her watch. His eyes followed her all the way to the door where she grabbed her watch and then to his surprise, all the way back to her seat. "It's a good thing that you are smart enough not to fight back….had it been your partner she wouldn't have had the luxury of moving around," Tucker commented.

"It doesn't have anything to do with being smart," Kat told him, managing to use her incredible flexibility to get the watch safely into her inner coat pocket. "She's just like the wind she controls, untamable. Me, I'm like the water I control. Adaptable, ready to take on the shape of the container I'm put in, that is, until the pressure allowed me to break out."

"I see, it's best for someone to be adaptable in all situations," Tucker agreed. Just then there was a loud bang and Greed came down the stairs followed by Kimbly, several chimeras, and one large metal body that was carried by Kimbly. "Well what do you know, the doll stayed put," Greed said with a little smile. "Great, now she can witness our glorious catch."

"Alphonse?" Kat said in amazement recognizing the metal armor?

"Kat? What are you doing here?" Al asked sounding equally surprised.

"Oh, so you know each other?" Greed said smiling. "Good, then this should go by quickly. Take our metal friend into the other room and keep him there until I come in. Tucker, I want you to leave. I'd like a little one on one time with the Kitten. I'd suggest you consider my proposal, Al." Geez, things were getting complicated fast, Kat thought.

Tucker didn't want to leave but did along with the chimeras, who took Al, and Kimbly. "It was rather surprising that you stayed after that little comment," Greed told her sitting in another chair directly across from her. "So what made you want to stay? Was it my dashing good looks?"

If Kat's hands had been free she might have done a face palm. "So then you know I stayed of my own free will."

"Of course, I may be Greedy, but I'm no idiot. I've seen my share of state alchemists and there's no way that Tucker fellow would have been able to stop one such as yourself if she truly wanted to leave. So tell me…" He said leaning forward. "Just what is it that you want?"

"I wanted to ask you a few things," Kat admitted. "About homunculi. I want to know everything."

"And what would I get for divulging such information? I don't do stuff like that for free you know," Greed asked raising an eyebrow.

"You'd have my respect," Kat said with a smile.

"Hmm, respect is nice. But I'm thinking something a bit more tangible," he told her getting steadily closer.

"Well, I know how to make food. I could make you some cookies, or pie…"

Greed took hold of her chin. "How about a cake?" he asked with a lecherous grin.

Kat stared at him before saying, "Alright, would you like it to be chocolate, vanilla, or marbled?"

Greed pulled back and laughed hysterically, "I have never seen a girl as innocent as you kid. That line was too much, how do you miss things that obvious?" Kat stared at him in confusion, not understanding why he was so amused. "Well congratulations, kitten," Greed said pulling out a knife. "You put me in a good mood."

Kat's eyes widened and she felt her throat tighten as the homunculus began walking towards her with the sharpened blade.

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CM: GASP! What is Greed planning to do? Stay tuned and find out!


	15. A Triumphant Return

CM: Hello! Sorry for not updating. I wanted to get the other fma story along before making too many updates on this one. But since the other story so far focuses on the few years prior to the main story line, I figured I could continue posting for this one now and again. Gimme a sign to let me know you guys are still out there and reading!

**A Triumphant Return**

Kat saw the knife flash and she closed her eyes, bracing herself. But unexpectedly, she felt the ropes binding her wrists cut and her hands sprang apart and her cramped arms and shoulders were finally able to relax.

"Now isn't that more comfortable? Since you put me in such a good mood I'll answer some of your questions. So ask away," Greed told her grinning and leaning back in his chair.

"Alright," Kat said sitting up straight and looking at him. "I guess to start out with, how were you all created?"

"Well, that's really simple. You see, when a person tries to bring someone back to life and fails, a homunculus is born," Greed explained. "Except we homunculi lack one very important thing that keeps us from truly being alive."

"You mean a soul, right?" Kat asked beginning to become thoroughly fascinated.

"Precisely, that is why the others are trying to obtain the stone…it's to get them a soul and make them human," Greed explained with an air of a know it all.

"Okay, so once they have a soul… then what?" Kat asked.

"Who knows," Greed said with a shrug. "Personally I don't think any of them have thought that far."

"So how many of you are there?"

"As of now, seven," Greed said and began counting off his fingers. "Pride, Sloth, Gluttony, Envy, Lust, Wrath, and then there's me."

"This is just out of curiosity but why are you all named after the seven deadly sins?"

"I honestly don't know, nor do I really care. I like my name. Though I'm surprised you haven't asked the million dollar question yet." At her questioning look he grinned and said, "You still haven't asked me how a homunculus can die."

"So… they can, then?" Kat asked hesitantly.

"Yep…but it has to be under certain circumstances. You can shoot, stab, dismember, or even decapitate a homunculus and they'll always come back…but if you do it with their remains around then there is no coming back," Greed explained with a large smile.

"So, why are you telling me this?" Kat asked him.

"Simple really," He said leaning forward in his seat. "I can tell just by looking at you that you don't go around exterminating people without a good reason. In fact, from all I've heard, you seem to be after one in particular. My question is, do you really think you could do the job if you managed to succeed?"

Kat looked down at the floor. "I'm not sure. I mean, I could never forgive him from taking my brother's life. But I'm not sure if I could kill him."

"That's one reason why I really don't mind telling you. That innocence is hard to come by and those who have it usually get rid of it when it's something personal. At any rate I've given all the time I can right now so I'll get back to you. I've got some discussing to do with the big guy if you'd like to come and listen," Greed told her standing up and stretching.

"Just one more question," Kat said standing up as well.

"Better make it good then," Greed told her.

Kat hesitated. "Who tried to bring you back to life?"

"That's a rather personal question," Greed said sauntering over to her. "You sure you're not falling for me, doll?"

"Sorry, but you're not my type," Kat told him apologetically.

"Right, right, I forgot. You have that Colonel of yours waiting for you."

"I didn't say that," Kat said quickly. "And you still haven't answered my question."

Greed grinned and put a finger to his lips, "That one's a secret doll. I'll never tell a single soul."

After that he disappeared behind a door off to the side leaving her alone. Moments later, however, Tucker exited through the same door. "I'm supposed to keep an eye on you so please do not try anything foolish," he said in his raspy voice.

"He's an interesting guy, Greed," Kat said perplexed. "I guess even homunculi are people after all. When I think about how he is a person that was once alive, and brought back again, I can't help but marvel at the possibility…"

"Are you saying you will try to bring back your brother?" Tucker asked hopefully.

"You know what," Kat said softly. "I like the idea." Suddenly there was a wave of cold and Tucker found his feet frozen solid onto the floor. "But I don't think my brother would ever forgive me," she said facing Tucker. "Sorry, but I'm going to have to decline the offer."

"How did you manage to do that without your alchemical symbols?" Tucker asked frowning.

Kat rolled down her sleeves and revealed alchemy symbols drawn on the inside. "A trick I learned from my best friend," she said smiling. "When taking away your enemy's weapon, make sure they don't have a back draft."

She went to the door to check to see if Al was alright, but stopped when she heard an angry female burst in and starting knocking some heads around. 'Sounds like they don't need my help,' Kat thought with a nervous laugh.

Suddenly the opposite door burst open and several chimeras charged in, no doubt having heard the commotion, and of course saw that she was obviously attempting an escape. "Well, maybe I can help them out a little bit." She took care of the chimeras by blasting them against the walls and freezing them there. "Sorry, but I have somewhere I need to be," Kat told them before heading to the door. Then she stopped. "Tell Greed 'thank you' for me," she murmured before heading out the door and began navigating her way out.

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"Elly I made this for you," Katie said happily holding out a necklace that she had made out of paper.

"Wow thanks Katie. You really didn't have to do this you know," Elly told her taking the necklace and rubbing Katie's head.

"I know but you've helped out so much I just wanted to do something nice for you," Katie replied smiling.

"I appreciate it Katie….I'll make sure to take good care of it," Elly said smiling.

"Elly have you seen Scar? Teacher is looking for him," Leo asked running up to the pair.

"No I haven't seen him since yesterday," Elly answered getting a little worried.

"Oh, well if you see him, let us know okay?" Leo told her and hurried off.

"I hope you're doing well," Rick told her with a smile before running off after his brother.

Katie looked up at Elly. "Elly, do we get to stay here? I don't want to move around no more."

"I know…I don't think the army knows that we're here Katie so I'm sure we'll be just fine," Elly replied with a smile. She stood up and glanced around the little village that had sprung up out of nowhere.

"Where are you going?" Katie asked tilting her head from side to side.

"I'm going to look for my brother. I know he can take care of himself but I still worry about him," Elly answered. "Why don't you go find your mom or someone else to play with for a while okay? I'll come back after I find him."

"Okay," Katie replied disheartened. "Don't get lost," she shouted after Elly's retreating back.

Elly waved goodbye before continuing her search. It took her some time but eventually she heard a rumor that he had gone to the area around the exile's camp. She got directions from one of the villagers who warned her that it was never wise to associate with an exile.

Elly nodded her head in agreement but went off in that direction anyway, hoping to find him before he did something stupid. "Elly where are you going?" a small voice shouted out.

"Oh Leo. I'm still trying to find my brother, have you seen him at all yet? I heard that he was supposed to be out here somewhere," Elly asked running up to him and Rick.

"Leo's face suddenly went sour. "Don't talk to me about that traitor!" He shouted before running off.

At Elly's confused face, Rick explained. "Scar went to talk to this old guy with the markings of an exile on his face. Scar was talking about this weird kind of stone I guess. The old man said if he tried to make one he would be considered an exile. But Scar claimed he was already an exile and showed the man his arm with tattoos on it. And then he left. My brother was really angry about. But you know Elly, I still think Scar's a nice guy," Rick finished.

"Thanks Rick….he is a nice guy," Elly agreed holding back her fear for his sake. She went off to see the old man herself determined to get him to tell her where her brother went and why.

When she reached his tent she found him sitting up in bed deep in thought. "Excuse me old man but my brother came to visit you earlier and I want to know where he went," Elly demanded as gently as possible.

The old man stared at her for a while. "You are the sibling of the one with the tattooed arm?" He shook his head and looked away. "It would be better for the both of you if you just forget about him. He has chosen his path. There is nothing you can do now."

Elly lost it, her hand shot out and she grabbed him by the front of his shirt, "I don't care what he's chosen, he's my brother and I have a right to know where he's going."

"I cannot divulge his location, for he has asked that you do not know," the old man responded staring at a point just to the side of her head.

"Fine if you can't tell me where he's going then at least tell me why he left. What does he plan to do?" Elly demanded taking deep breathes to control herself and thrusting the old man back into his bed.

The old man gathered himself back up again before taking a steady breath. "Your brother has chosen to finish the devil's errand."

"The devil's errand? Wait you mean he went to create a philosophers stone?" Elly asked surprised. The old man nodded before looking away. "That idiot, he's going to get himself killed over a stupid stone. I know that the stone might help us out but throwing your life away just because the possibility of making it is there?" she rushed for the door trying very hard to catch up to him before he managed to get very far.

"Wait. Your brother does not want you to follow, he has made his decision and asked that you stayed here," the old man stated trying to stop her.

"He knows me better than that. I've lost him once before, I'm not losing him again," she declared as she continued through the door.

She ran up on of the sandy hills nearby and scanned the horizon looking for any sign of him. Then she used one of her alchemical symbols to move the air around her until she found out which direction he was going. Then all at once her brothers voice echoed in her ears, "Elinora I know your listening."

Elly nearly dropped her alchemy at this statement but managed to hold onto it. "He really does know me too well," she thought. She stopped again as she heard his voice once again in her ears.

"Listen, I want you to stay at the encampment, and don't follow me," Scar's voice spoke to her. "What I'm doing is of my own free will. It is something that I must do. If I do not, I shall never be able to find peace in this forsaken world. I don't want you getting involved and I don't want you to come. Our people need you here more than they need me." He paused for a moment and Elly thought he had gone when she heard, "I'm sorry I couldn't have been a better older brother."

Tears came to Elly like an avalanche that she just couldn't push back. "Brother I'm coming with you. I won't lose you again," she shouted to the open air.

"Stay with the encampment…..they need you more than they need me," his voice replayed in her head.

"Fine you jerk…have it your way. I'll stay here and I'll live for both you and Mat. I'll make sure that our people will have a chance to live like we once did. I'll miss you brother, I hope you can accomplish what you set out to do," she resigned forcefully wiping the tears from her face. Then she turned around and headed back to the encampment where her whole life was waiting before her.

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When Kat arrived at the Kishiwa slums, she was at first worried upon seeing the huge wall of flames. But getting closer, she saw that it was a controlled fire put up by none other than Roy Mustang. Soon all of the Ishbalens were cooperating with the group of soldiers.

"That was magnificent Colonel!" Kat applauded coming right up behind Roy and scaring the bejeezes out of him.

Roy spun around to see Kat standing there with a big grin on her face. "Where in the world have you been Lieutenant?" Roy shouted at her.

Kat nearly jumped back in fright and several of the soldiers nearby also paled upon seeing the rage in the Flame Alchemist's face. "Am I in trouble, sir?" Kat asked meekly.

"Trouble doesn't even come close to describing what you're in," Roy grated, taking hold of her by the shoulder. "First Lt. Hawkeye, maintain order while the truant and I have a chat in my office."

Hawkeye saluted her consent and stepped aside as Roy walked by with Kat being dragged behind. Once they reached his tent he finally let her go and took a seat behind the desk. "So are you going to tell me where it is you went and why?" Roy asked clenching his teeth.

"I'm really sorry if I angered you, sir," Kat told him first and foremost. "But I'm hoping that with the information I've obtained, you might be able to forgive me."

"Go on," Roy said slowly.

"Well, sir," Kat began. And she told him where she went, her discoveries about the homunculus as well as the underground working going on in the military, about Kimbly and Tucker, the chimera's, and the Elric brothers and their teacher. She made sure to carefully leave out the part about being kidnapped.

Roy sat in silence for a long time, his hand on his chin, deep in thought. "So the Elric brothers are being lead to create the stone in order for these homunculi to become human. I guess that explains the part about them being left alive when they should have died," he finally said. "You said there were seven of these creatures?"

"Yes sir," Kat said with a nod. "And for all we know, some of them may be in the military."

"You haven't told anyone else of your discoveries have you?" Roy asked intently.

"No, I came straight to you after learning all of this."

"And did anyone see you?"

"Not… that I know of, sir," Kat said tentatively.

"Good keep it that way. As far as everyone else is concerned you didn't learn a thing, understand? If you learned something you shouldn't have and they find out then your very life could be in danger," Roy told her sternly.

"Hey, what's with all the secrecy Colonel?" a voice called out from the far corner of the tent.

Kat and Roy both glanced over to see Elly standing there with a grin on her face. "Elly!" Kat said in delight and tackled her friend. "I missed you. How have you been? Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Ouch, Kat I'm fine okay just get off before you ask anymore questions will you?" Elly asked breathing hard. She did and as soon as Elly stood up she found herself face to face with Colonel Mustang.

"And what brings you here? I assumed you were out looking for something."

"These are my people, is it really that surprising to see me here with them?" she asked folding her arms.

"Not really I suppose…though I do have to wonder why you didn't tell anyone that the alchemist killer Scar was located here," Roy said narrowing his eyes.

"If I saw a mass murderer I would have reported it immediately Colonel….and as you can see he is not here," she told him throwing her arms out in emphasis.

Roy was about to open his mouth to say something but Kat stepped in. "Colonel, it's clear that she doesn't know where he is. And I guess she's done with whatever it was she needed to do. With your permission, I'd like to take her back as my partner," she said bowing.

He sighed in frustration at the two girls in front of him. "How could two female alchemists cause so much trouble on their own," he thought to himself. "Alright you two can once again be partners. But, I don't want you two to be keeping me in the dark on anything you got that. No matter what it is, I should be hearing about it."

"So you even want to hear about our personal female lives?" Elly asked raising an eyebrow.

A vein in Roy's temple began to twitch and he was about to blow when Havok came in. "Hey Colonel, I think you're presence is needed out here."

"Very well," Roy said turning to Kat once more after he had calmed down. "Your information was very helpful, Lieutenant Kathleen." Then his voice suddenly rose in volume. "NEVER DO THAT AGAIN. Because if you do, I will not hesitate to take Lt. Havoc's suggestion and arrange for a tracking device to be implanted into you while you sleep. Havoc, watch these two while I'm gone." And then he stormed out of the tent.

"Whoa what did you do to make Mustang blow up like that?" Elly asked raising an eyebrow and laughing.

"She left without telling anyone where she was going and pinned me up against a wall with her ice in the process," Havoc answered with a grimace. "You should have seen the Colonel when he heard. He was angrier than that and only after Lt. Hawkeye told him to chill did he actually calm down."

"I didn't mean to worry everyone," Kat started.

"Of course, we were worried," Havoc told her with a stern voice he rarely ever used. "How could we not be? It's not like you to go running off like that without a word. After what happened to your brother I would have thought you'd know better than that."

"Wait a second what happened to Hughes? Don't start talking about things and expect me to know what you mean when I wasn't around to see or hear about it?" Elly said glancing from one sad face to the next.

Havoc looked at Kat. "You want to tell her, or should I?"

Kat was silent for several moments. "He's gone," she whispered at last.

There was a long silence in which Elly's mouth fell open in shock and horror. She remembered the night that she had felt someone's life slip away and realized that that must have been Hughes. "I'm sorry….I didn't know," Elly finally managed to say dry tears brimming her eyes from his memory. "How did it happen…if you don't mind my asking?"

"He was assassinated," Havoc told her soberly. "By whom, we've yet to confirm. You've missed quite a bit, actually. Which reminds me… You still haven't told us what you've been doing all this time."

"I've been helping out my people. I ran into a couple groups roaming around and decided that my help was needed. I've been with them every since," Elly explained nonchalantly.

"Really, and you never saw Scar the entire time you were here?" Havoc asked surprised.

"Yeah, having seen him before I know I would have recognized him if I ever saw him again. I can personally guarantee that Scar isn't here and never was," Elly told him boldly.

Havoc was about to question her further when Roy came back in. "Havoc, I'm heading back to Central. I need you and the others to continue escorting these people to a safer area."

"No problem," Havoc affirmed.

"Right, well I guess I'd better get to work then," Kat stated and started out of the tent only to be jerked back by the Colonel.

"You're coming with me, Lieutenant," Roy said shortly before dragging her out of the tent.

"Well I might as well go along…it's not like I have much to do here anyway," Elly said shrugging her shoulders. Then she followed the two out the door and toward the Colonel's transportation where Fulman was waiting.

"So are you going to tell me what you were doing during your absence?" Roy asked when they got into the car.

"Nope."

A vein ticked on Roy's forehead again and his hands turned white as they clenched together hard.

"What are you getting so angry about? It's not like I'm one of your subordinates after all…so I don't have to answer to you," Elly told him laughing. "Besides what I do with my own life really isn't any of your business unless it involves your people which none of it has."

"I guess things are back to normal," Kat murmured to herself with a slight smile. "Maybe I should have just stayed with, Greed."

"What was that, Lieutenant?" Roy asked dangerously.

"Nothing Colonel," she replied hurriedly

Elly raised an eyebrow but kept her questions to herself…at least for now. It took several hours to return to Central and once there Kat and Elly were told to report to their room and were not allowed to leave until further notice. "Alone at last," Elly said dropping onto her bed and loving the feel of the nice bedding. "Now we can spill what happened while we were apart. So should I go first or will you?"

"I'll go first," Kat volunteered. She told Elly what events had been going on since she had left. She told her about her brother's death and her scrape with Envy. She even told her about her close encounter with the Homunculi Greed.

"So Hughes was killed by the Homunculi Envy, who is only one of seven. Greed sounds to me like a more outgoing version of the Colonel," Elly said staring at the ceiling. "And you're sure that their trying to get Ed and Al to create the stone for them?"

"Positive," Kat declared with a nod. "I don't think Tucker or Greed had any reason to lie to me. Not when I was their 'captive'."

"This is just great…I hope those guys don't find out about Scar. If they do it could mean the end of the Elric brothers," Elly said frustrated.

"We just have to try to keep that from happening then," Kat said with a smile. "So, what have YOU been up to?"

"Well a little of this and a little of that," Elly said making Kat's face fall like a brick.

Elly laughed and went on to explain that she had helped her people escape from some ruffians who attacked. She then told her about the arrival of her brother's old teacher and the soccer game that had helped bring her and her brother together. At that part Kat had squealed with delight making Elly roll her eyes. Finally she told her about Scar speaking with the Exile and then leaving to go create a philosophers stone.

"Sounds like you've been having it rough too, huh?" Kat said with a weary smile. She laid back down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. "Though I'll say this much. I think that maybe us being apart for a while did us some good."

"You're probably right," Elly said. "I wish I could have been there to help out when things went sour for you. Compared to what you went through I had it pretty easy."

"Perhaps," Kat said looking over at her. "But since I was gone, you were able to heal the rift between you and your brother. And I was able to learn how to stand up for myself. We both got something in the end."

"Equivalent exchange huh…it's amazing how much that concept pops up. So now what do you plan to do, go after Ed and Al and help them through this problem?"

"I've been thinking about it," Kat told her thoughtfully. "But probably not just yet. After seeing the Colonel like that I'd rather not push my luck."

"Good point, we wouldn't want to push him too much farther. He might just go over the edge," Elly agreed staring at the ceiling again. Suddenly she stood up and went to the window looking everywhere around the ground three stories below. "I'll be back in a bit…there's something I need to take care of that I haven't yet. Mind covering for me should someone come looking?"

"No problem," Kat told her and giving her a thumbs up. "Take as long as you need." Once Elly was gone, Kat took out her watch and clicked it open to look pensively at what was inside. "Be sure to give them your love, Elly."

Elly grinned and jumped out the window using her wind to float gently to the ground. Once there she snuck around the building and headed for the graveyard where Brigadeer General Hughes was buried.

She found his grave pretty easily, considering the fact that he had just recently become deceased, and stayed for several long minutes telling her foster brother goodbye. Once she had finished with that she paid a quick visit to Gracia and her daughter Elysia to give her condolences and see how they were holding up. Once she finished with that she returned to her room with a heavy heart, but a warm smile on her face.

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CM: Hehe, Colonel was worried. Don't we just love to tease him? Next time, rainmaking and ghost hunting! Stay tuned. ^_^


	16. Rainmakers and Heartbreakers

CM: Hey all! No I didn't forget about this story. And It's actually my goal to use this fic to make you all nostalgic and go back and watch the first anime as I have done many times ^_^. Anywhozzles, on with the story!

**Rainmakers and Heartbreakers**

The next day…. "Are you positive in your reports, Fulman?" Roy asked staring at the papers in front of him with a brooding face.

"Yes sir, it's become a serious situation and it's only getting worse," Fulman told him regrettably.

"I see, there's no sign of rain any time soon either," Roy muttered. "Very well, I will deal with this matter. Fulman I want you to take whatever supplies are need to make sure that dam is in perfect working order," Roy commanded as he stood up and walked out the door.

"Yes sir."

Roy walked through the halls trying to figure out how he was going to take care of this matter. He looked out one of the windows as he was passing it and saw the grounds where he fought with Edward Elric, and was reminded of his other battle with Kat. Suddenly an idea popped into his head and he hurried to Kat's room to set his plan into motion.

Kat and Elly were both in their room, still not having had permission to come out unless it was for the bathroom. Kat couldn't help but feel as if she was under house arrest. She was stretched out on her bed reading a book while Elly was sitting on the window sill staring down at the people passing by going about their daily activities. Kat closed her book with a sigh. How she wished something would happen to break the flow of boredom.

Suddenly the door burst open scaring Elly so bad that she fell out of the window. Dragging herself up onto the sill she saw who it was that had burst in so suddenly. Standing in the doorway was Colonel Mustang looking as unhappy as always. "What was that for Colonel you made me fall out the window with that entrance. Honestly you should really knock when coming into a girl's room."

Roy ignored her and glared over at Kat who froze. "It wasn't me, I swear," Kat said innocently.

"Quit your jabbering and come with me," Roy said exiting the room again, clearly expecting her to follow.

Not wanting to put him in even more of a bad mood she quickly hurried after, checking to make sure Elly was behind her. "Colonel, if I may ask…" Kat began.

"Lieutenant Kathleen, with your water and my fire we…CAN MAKE RAIN," Roy said striking a pose. Elly cracked up earning herself a smack across the back of the head.

Kat was at a complete loss for words. "Wow, Mustang," Elly snickered. "You really need to work on your pick up lines a little better."

"I don't recall asking for YOUR opinion," Roy told her in a deadpan voice.

"Um… sir, I'm afraid I'm not following you," Kat said weakly.

"You see this draught has been going on for several days and the dam doesn't even have any water left in it," Roy explained. "If we use our alchemy like we did during our fight we should be able to make it rain and end this draught."

"Oh," Kat said finally understanding. "Well, I'll do anything if it means getting out of that room for a while."

"Good now let's go and get this done," Roy said leading the way outside. Suddenly he stopped, "Are you coming along Elly?"

"Naw, I was going to go get something to eat I'm kind of hungry after all. Oh and Kat…have fun making rain," Elly said before running off in the other direction.

Kat's face flushed with embarrassment at the implication but she ignored it and continued following Roy. "So I take it you're still angry about the other day, huh?"

"Of course I am. You run off on your own after nearly being killed by that monster and then come back and expect everything to be alright?" Roy asked rounding on her.

"It wasn't just for my own curiosity," Kat told him feeling a little hurt. "I did it for you, you know."

"So going to get yourself killed just to get some information, is that how you work to help someone? Quit acting like your life is something you can just throw away for someone else. There's always a better reason to stay alive," he said turning back toward the door.

"I'm sorry," Kat whispered gloomily. "I just didn't want you to see me as… just the sister of your best friend… or just another alchemist user."

"Oh please did you honestly think that I only thought of you as a weapon I could use? Where did you get a crazy idea like that? It's true that you are the sister of my best friend, but I still always worried about you," Roy told her with a heavy sigh.

"Really?" Kat said in slight surprise.

"You find it that hard to believe?"

"I dunno, I guess I always thought that I was just a nuisance to you."

"You're being ridiculous," Roy told her pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just do me a favor and please don't pull anymore crazy stunts. I've already lost one friend. I don't want to lose you too."

Kat felt her heart beating faster and she quickly looked away. "Yes sir, I apologize once more for my actions and the trouble they caused you."

"I accept your apology. Now let's get out there and end this drought," he said leading the way out the door. The moment they were in a clearing outside Roy and Kat faced each other again and prepared for the rain inducing blows. Roy released his large amount of flame while Kat threw out a tsunami. The attacks collided and created a huge amount of steam that went into the air causing the formation of large rain clouds. In only minutes after the collision it began to rain.

Kat smiled up at the sky, relishing the feel of the rain on her skin. The sprinkles soon turned into a downpour and Kat was beginning to get soaked. And dangit, she had forgotten her jacket. Suddenly she felt something tossed over her head and her nostrils were suddenly filled with the scent of smoke and cologne.

"Put that on Lieutenant. It'll be a pain if you were to catch a cold."

Kat looked and saw in shock that it was Roy's trench coat, the one she had always coveted, just because she had always wanted one but never managed to get her hands on one. "But Colonel, what about you?"

"Eh….I'm use to it. Besides we can't have our Ice Cold alchemist getting sick over her own element now can we," Roy replied leading the way to the door. "That should be as much as is needed for now. I'll call you if we need another rain storm."

"Yes sir," Kat said with a salute before following him. Once she was back in her room she got changed into some dry clothes before relaxing back down on the bed with the trench coat folded neatly in her arms mulling over her thoughts.

A few moments later the door opened and Elly walked in. "For the last time Havok, NO," she said slamming the door behind her. "Man I figured they'd be gone for at least a little while longer. Those baffoons just pulled in tonight and had to ruin my peaceful meal."

Kat quickly hid the coat under her pillow before facing Elly with a nervous smile. "Oh, is Havok hitting on you again? I guess he'll never learn."

Elly sighed before walking over to her own bed. "I wish he would but when you're that desperate I guess anyone will do," she commented collapsing onto her bed. "So how did the rain making go? I noticed the shower we got so I suppose it went alright."

"Yeah," Kat muttered absentmindedly. "It was great."

Elly turned over on her side and grinned. "I noticed you put something away that looked oddly familiar. What was it? Did it belong to the Colonel?"

Kat turned red. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh really…" In one quick movement she was on her feet and before Kat could stop her she had nabbed Roy's coat from beneath the pillows.

"Give it back," Kat said making a grab for it.

"Say isn't this that trench coat of the Colonel's that you've been eying for so long?" Elly asked moving the coat out of her reach and inspecting it closely. "So you finally managed to get your hands on it huh? Let me guess, because it's still pretty wet I'd say he lent it to you after it started raining right? Awe isn't that cute."

After a few tries Kat finally managed to snatch the coat back from her. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." She went back over to her bed and curled into a half way fetal position facing the opposite direction.

"Sorry I didn't mean to upset you that much. I'm glad that you and the Colonel are back on speaking terms and that things seem to be going well. To be honest I'm kind of jealous of you. You've got someone that isn't family that cares about you. I'm not saying that I'd like to be in your shoes or anything but I wish that I could find someone like that too," Elly explained putting an arm around her friend.

"Yeah right," Kat said with a small laugh. "I'm just a kid to him. That's all anyone ever sees me as. And if you really wanted, there's always Havok."

Elly glared down at her, "Havok is more like a brother and you know it. Besides I seriously doubt that anyone thinks of you as a kid. They know how old you are and although you act younger than you are sometimes, you still get the job done when it counts and are always loyal to your friends."

Kat smiled. "Thank Elly. I really needed to hear that." There was silence for a few minutes as Elly went back to her own bed and settled down. Then, with laughter in her voice she asked, "So are you going to snuggle with that thing all night?"

"Goodnight, Elly," Kat said turning off the lamp light and engulfing the room in darkness.

* * *

The next morning Elly and Kat woke to find that they were allowed to roam around as long as they stayed within Central. They spent the morning walking around the halls enjoying their semi freedom until they spotted Colonel Mustang trying to feed Lt. Hawkeye's dog and Breda standing behind a tree with a notebook. "I don't even want to know what he's doing," Elly said shaking her head. "You want to go get breakfast?"

"Sure," Kat said also feeling that it was probably better not to ask. "I hear they're having waffles this morning."

Later that afternoon, Kat and Elly were sitting in Roy's office just relaxing, when suddenly Hawkeye asked, "Does anyone know what's eating Lt. Havok?"

"I did notice he was looking a little depressed earlier," Kat noted looking up from her novel.

"He probably just got dumped again," Roy commented without looking up from his paper.

"Wow you're psychic," Breda answered from his desk.

"That's pathetic, he should know that it's impossible to be a good military man and have a girl," Hawkeye scolded.

"A good military man should be able to balance his work and his women," Roy corrected. "I do it all the time."

"Yeah, that's your problem," Elly said with a laugh.

"Wait if he's depressed that means that his performance will suffer and it will affect my performance. One of you go find Havok a girl. That's your new mission," Roy commanded finally looking up from his paper.

"Good luck with that, you'll need a miracle to find that guy a girl in these parts," Elly laughed again.

"Why don't you just toss him one of yours, Colonel," Breda muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Roy asked frowning.

"Nothing!" He said quickly.

Roy readjusted his newspaper and looked away. "I don't suppose any of you know what kind of girl he's looking for?"

"Well," Fulman spoke up. "When we were drinking he said he wanted a cute, smart, funny girl with a nice personality who wasn't likely to cheat on him."

Kat glanced up from her book and realized that everyone in the room was looking at her. "Why are you all looking at me like that?" She asked apprehensively.

"Well you're a cute, funny girl, with a nice personality who wouldn't likely cheat on him," Elly said leaning back in her chair. "At least that's what you guys are thinking right?"

They all nodded and stared at Kat all the more. "They're absolutely right Lt. go on a date with Havok," Roy said looking back at his paper.

"Huh?" Kat said in shock, but she quickly recovered. "I can't."

"Why not?" Roy asked. "It's not like you have anything more pressing to do."

"Don't get me wrong, Havok's a great guy and all. But there's just no chemistry. He's a hydrogen atom, and I'm Helium. We just don't mix."

Everyone in that room except for Roy, Hawkeye and Elly looked at her like she was crazy. Elly burst out laughing completely understanding where she was coming from. "So why not become an Oxygen?" Roy asked continuing to read his paper.

"Easy for you to say. I hear that Fluorine sucks up whatever it gets when it can get it," Kat said folding her arms.

"Are you making some sort of implication, Lieutenant?" Roy asked her raising an eyebrow.

"The point is I can't date Havok for my personal own reasons. End of story," Kat said matter-of-factly.

"Well there went our best shot," Fury sighed.

"We could always ask, Elly," Fulman said.

"Only if you have a death wish," Breda muttered.

"I heard that," Elly said glaring at the group.

Fulman sat up and waved his arms in apology. "Alright since no one here is going to agree to date Havok then your mission will be to find a cute funny girl with a nice personality," Roy commanded. Elly shook her head but got up and followed Fulman out the door. "Where are you going?" Roy asked.

"Does it really matter? You're never going to find a girl for Havok in this place….at least not one that's going to like him for him," Elly answered continuing out the door.

Kat couldn't help but smile. A little while later after nearly everyone had left except for Kat, Fulman and Elly came back with a report. "Armstrong's sister?" Roy asked in disbelief.

"Yes. The major says she's single because she's shy not because she's unattractive."

"Very well," Roy said. "Take Havok, get cleaned up and take him to pay a visit to the Armstrong residence."

"Sir!" Fulman said with a salute before walking out.

"Why do I have a foreboding feeling about this?" Kat murmured.

"I think I spotted her once. She is pretty but if I know that family Havok's got no chance," Elly muttered scratching her head. "Oh well guess it's better to try and fail then to not try and have no idea if you would or not." Fulman took that time to run outside and grab Havok to help him out.

"How much you want to bet this blows up in his face?" Elly asked out loud.

"My bet is the date lasts for ten minutes," Breda said.

"My bet is they don't even have one," Fulman said.

"My bet is he chickens out," Fury said.

"You all realize you're betting against him," Hawkeye noted.

"Safest bet!" They said in unison.

Kat sighed and continued reading her book. A couple hours later, Havok came back in a complete dazed state and the three reported that it had been a miserable failure of the epic kind. Kat couldn't help but feeling badly for the poor guy.

"Havok are you going to be okay buddy?" Elly asked patting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah," he answered with no feeling at all.

"Great now he's going to be roaming around like a zombie. I told you that was a bad idea."

* * *

The next day everyone was gathered in the Colonel's office in a state of panic over some haunted warehouse. Elly was only half listen while Kat paused in her reading to listen. Havoc, sadly, had not snapped out of his reverie.

"I'm telling you I saw it!" Fury said trembling.

"What you saw was probably just a figment of your imagination," Roy said sternly.

"Are you telling me that what I saw was a lie? Have you even heard the rumors Colonel?" Fury asked.

"They say that the warehouses were built on top of what used to be an execution ground and that sometimes a mysterious warehouse 13 where the dead try to climb over each other's bodies to escape," the three explained trying to be scary.

"That sounds an awful lot like your imaginations to me," Elly said digging her finger into her ear.

The three men continued to insist that warehouse 13 was indeed real when Roy finally stood up and said, "Someone needs to give you a reality check and it might as well be me."

"That's great, Colonel," Breda said with a look of relief. "You can join our stake out."

"What? A stake out?" Roy asked. And for whatever reason, the Colonel was then roped into a midnight stakeout.

Elly couldn't very well pass up this opportunity so she decided to tag along as well. So that night everyone but Hawkeye went to check out warehouse 13. They traveled along the street going by warehouse after warehouse until they reached the area where all the lights were out.

"Oh yeah we forgot to mention that from here on there are no more lights," Fury said sheepishly.

"Perfect now I can jump out of shadows and scare you guys half to death," Elly said with a big smile.

"You wouldn't really do that would you?" Fury asked.

"Don't worry about it. Breda said let there be light," Breda exclaimed lighting the lamp. Suddenly a shadow appeared and Fury screamed with fright.

"It's just your shadow," Roy told him irately.

"Yeah see shadows are friendly," Fulman explained making a shadow puppet of a dog that turned into a dragon as the flame flickered. The group screamed with fright and Elly had to hold her hand to her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

"How did I end up with such a pathetic crew?" Roy asked out loud in aggravation.

"Didn't you pick them out yourself, sir?" Kat reminded him.

"That's beside the point," Roy said leading them onward. "I'm going to put an end to this nonsense one and for all." They got to the final warehouse 12.

"You see, there's nothing to worry about," Elly said shaking her head.

They looked around for a few minutes until Fulman spotted a building marked B. "There's your warehouse 13." Everyone laughed off the fear that had engulfed them and decided to go back home.

Then as they were walking Roy spotted a plot of ground that had been dug up recently, and upon investigation they found that there was a bone buried there. Elly started to snicker as she got a good look at the bone but said nothing.

"It's obvious there's been a murder here," Roy declared causing all the men to become fearful all except for Havok who was still in his zombie like state.

"Um, Elly?" Kat whispered to her, trying to stifle her own giggles. "Should we tell them?"

"Wait, wait. Let's just see how long this goes on before they realize what it really is," Elly said. "Well we've had enough for tonight so we're going home," she told the others.

"You're not going to stay and help?" Roy asked them incredulously.

"I don't like seeing dead things," Kat said following Elly. "See you guys tomorrow."

* * *

The next day Elly and Kat returned to Roy's office to see all the guys sitting in their seats completely exhausted. "Had a hard night?" Elly asked with a smile.

"I've had better," they all answered.

"So how long did it take you guys to realize that that bone was just a milk bone for Black Hayate?"

All of them glared at her as Hawkeye came into the room nonplussed as to why all of the men appeared to be in a bad mood. All except for Havok who looked so far gone he might as well have been on some distant planet.

"He still hasn't recovered?" Kat asked staring at him.

"No, poor guy. Just because the Major's sister refused to go out with him he get's like that," Breda said shaking his head.

"Yeah well when you get turned down as much as he does I guess that sort of rejection would be the last straw wouldn't it," Elly commented glancing at him.

"Yeah I know…but still," Fury agreed looking at Havok sadly.

Kat sighed before getting up from her seat and walking over to Havok. "Hey Havok?" Kat spoke to him gently. There was a very long pause in which she waited for him to respond.

"Yeah?" He said finally.

"Would you like to go to lunch with me?" Kat asked with a smile.

His head shot up and his eyes widened as they stared at her. "Are you serious about that or just pulling my leg?' he asked thoroughly surprised but extremely happy.

"No Havok, I'm completely serious," Kat told him. "I'll even get all nice and dressed up if it will make you happy."

"But I thought you weren't allowed to date me," he remembered.

"Then let's not call it that," Kat said tilting her head to the side. "Let's call it an outing."

Havok sighed but smiled all the same. "Oh well it's not quite the same but it'll do. Alright then I'll see you for lunch," Havok said standing up and leaving with the first smile he'd worn in two days.

"Wow Kat you really made his day, and mine," Elly said chuckling softly.

Everyone in the room was in shock, well, at least the guys were. "Well, I couldn't just leave him like that," Kat said shrugging. "Anyway, I better go get prepared so I'll see you all later." And she left.

Elly continued to laugh as she sat down in her seat. In the meantime Roy was in complete shock and he seemed to have a little bit of anger in his eyes as well. "Why the shock Colonel? You are the one who told her to go on a date with him," Hawkeye told him with a small smile.

"I didn't think she'd actually do it," Roy commented slowly.

"Wow is that jealousy I see?" Elly asked with a smirk.

Roy clenched his fist but kept his cool. "So what now Colonel?" Fulman asked.

"Good question…"

* * *

When lunch time rolled around, Havok was waiting outside his office checking is watch every now and then. Little did he know he was being spied on by Breda, Fury, and Fulman.

"You really think she'll show?" Breda asked in hushed tones.

"I don't think Kat would be the type to stand a guy up," Fury said.

"Even if it is Havok," Fulman added.

Suddenly Kat appeared from around the opposite corner and all of them nearly fell over in shock. She was wearing an off the shoulder blouse, a skirt, and was wearing her hair down. "Hey Havok," she said approaching him with a warm smile.

Havok's mouth fell open in joyful surprise. "Wow Kat you look great," he said once he managed to get a hold of himself.

"Wow I've never seen her wear a skirt before…or that shirt," Fulman whispered surprised.

"Man maybe I should be all pathetic and what not, then maybe I'll score a date with Elly," Breda commented.

"Now that we've seen Kat all dressed up I wonder what Elly would look like wearing something that nice," Fury added.

They were all lost in their own fantasy's and almost missed Havok offering his arm and then leading the way to their lunch. "Let's report this to the Colonel and quick," Fulman whispered backing away slowly.

"So, she really was serious," Roy said sitting behind his desk.

"It would appear that way, sir," Fulman reported.

"They're headed off to a restaurant right now," Breda added.

"It's a fairly high class one known for its foreign cuisine," Fury finished.

"Wow Havok must be having the time of his life," Elly said smiling widely. "I'm glad he finally got someone to agree to at least go on an *outing* with him."

"Men we have a new mission. We are going to observe Lieutenant Havok and Lt. Kathleen to see just how well this date of theirs goes," Roy commanded standing up.

"Wow this guy really is jealous huh," Elly muttered under her breath. "You do know that the moment she finds out you'll all be in deep trouble," she said out loud.

"Yeah, if she finds out. We're just really curious to find out what's going on right now so we're going to see for ourselves. You are coming right?" Breda asked glancing over at her while walking out the door.

"You kidding I wouldn't miss this, it's too priceless," Elly said running to catch up with the rest. Soon they made it too the Restaurant and found a good place to stay hidden and still be able to hear everything that Havok and Kat said to each other.

"Nice place, huh?" Havok referred to the restaurant.

"It really is," Kat agreed admiring her surroundings. "The atmosphere is really pleasant here."

"Sounds like some fireworks might be starting up soon," Breda remarked.

"Quiet," Fulman shushed him.

"I really appreciate this, Kat," Havok told her. "You sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not," Kat assured him. "Contrary to what anyone might say, you're a really nice guy Havok."

"Thanks I just wish the other girls would see it like that," Havok said heaving a sigh. "It really does get annoying when I take interest in a girl and then they end up falling in love with the Colonel."

"And yet you remain loyal to him in the end," Kat said with a smile. "To me, that's a very noble trait, and the mark of a true friend."

"You really think so?" Havok said sounding rather flattered by her words.

"I know so," Kat insisted. "So don't bother changing who you are just because some girls are shallow enough to chase after the first pretty face they see. I like you the way you are now, Havok."

The group looked at Roy holding back their laughter at his attempt to keep himself calm. His hand was curled into a tight fist and his eyes were shut tight while a vein throbbed in his temple. "Wow I had no idea the Colonel would be this mad at something so trivial," Elly thought to herself. "Then again he does seem to have something for Kat so that probably really hurt his ego. Nice one Kat keep it up."

"You know, I think you're the first girl to ever tell me that," Havok said with a grin.

"But I'm not the girl you want to hear that from, am I?" Kat inquired softly.

"I'm that readable, huh?"

"Nah, its just women's intuition."

"It's true," Havok said with a sigh. "You're a really nice girl Kat, and probably one of the better looking ones I've ever met."

"But you like Elly more," Kat finished for him.

The group looked at Elly now and she blushed heavily despite all her efforts not to. "Wow you really did read me easily. Yeah she is the one that I've liked since she came in that day. I guess it's the fact that she is no respecter of persons just because of rank. I've never met anybody who acted like they were everyone's equal and didn't take any crap from anyone no matter who they were. Then to back it up she stands up for her friends even if there's nothing she could do to help."

"What do you think about her ethnic background or origins?" Kat pressed him.

"Honestly, I couldn't care less about that," Havok said shrugging. "I know this may sound crazy coming from me, but if being with her meant losing my place in the military, I'd probably do it in a heartbeat."

"I'd believe it," Kat told him.

"Wow, I've never seen Havok get this serious about a girl before," Breda remarked.

"Yeah really I always thought that he was just some sort of desperate player," Fury whispered.

"I'm surprised to find out just how much he likes Elly, I mean to give up his position just to be with her that's pretty deep," Fulman added.

Elly was deep in thought trying to sort out if he truly meant this and what she was going to do about it. "Don't tell her I said that though, it's hard enough to get her to notice me without her knowing how I really feel," Havok continued looking down at the table.

"I would never tell her," Kat told him sadly. "But, I'm afraid she already knows."

"What do you mean?" Havok asked looking back up at her. Kat sighed before activating one of her alchemic symbols and caused a small waterfall to open up over the area where everyone was hiding.

The whole group was washed away from their hiding place coming up spluttering as soon as the water vanished. "'cough cough' Somehow I knew she knew we were here," Elly spluttered before using her wind to dry everyone off. "Sorry we kind of crashed your luncheon guys….we didn't mean to interfere with it."

Havok stood there in shock. "I'm sorry," Kat told him. "But I thought you had a right to know."

"It's alright," Jean said bleakly. "Thanks for being honest with me." Kat gave him a small hug before going over to Fulman, Breda, and Fury.

"You three, "she said in a hard tone causing them all to go tense. "If you don't have any real business here then I suggest you all return to Central, NOW."

"Yes ma'am!" They all said before leaving a cloud of dust in their haste to leave.

Roy stood and approached the two with an air of authority. "I know that you two were trying to have a nice lunch but we have an important mission we must attend to first thing in the morning so it's important that you are all ready."

Kat took a deep breath before walking over to Roy and slapping him on the cheek. "You jerk," she whispered before walking out of the restaurant.

Roy stood there several minutes after she slapped him holding his face surprised at how mad she really was. "I'll be at the office until tomorrow, I don't want to be disturbed until it's time to leave," Roy finally said before walking out the door leaving Havok and Elly alone together.

"Wow this is kind of awkward," Elly expressed rubbing her neck.

"How much of did you hear?" Havok asked embarrassed.

"I heard just about everything I think….at least from where Kat figured out that you wished it was me instead of her," Elly answered looking away all red in the face.

"I see," he said, his tone rather serious. "Well, then there you have it I guess. There's really not much else to say." When she didn't answer he sighed. "You know what, don't worry about it. Though I guess staying here would be rather pointless since my date walked out. Story of my life," he said with a hollow laugh.

Elly opened her mouth to say something but was stopped by Havok holding up his hand. "Please don't say anything okay, it would only make things worse," Havok said shaking his head. He looked so sad that Elly felt like giving him a hug to help him feel better but she never got the chance to try to help because he turned and walked to the door.

When he got there, he stopped and turned to give her a small smile. "Could I at least have the honor of walking you home, or should I call a taxi?"

Elly gave him a *can't believe you actually had to ask that* face. "I think that I would enjoy a walk out in the open much more than a ride in a stuffy taxi," she said shaking her head. Then she walked over to him and ruffled his hair a little bit, much to his surprise. "Sometimes Havok you really do show your nice guy side," she said before walking out the door.

Havok stared after her before giving a small laugh. 'Maybe I do still have a chance,' he thought before following her.

* * *

Kat was in her office filing papers and doing unneeded cleaning, trying to get her mind off of troubling thoughts of her superior officer. She hadn't even bothered changing out of her outfit. She wasn't angry at him really. But she was hurt and confused. She stood on a chair and attempted to dust the ceiling fan.

Just then the Colonel walked through the door and stopped slightly stunned to still see that Kat was in her date outfit. "Um…I'm sorry to disturb you Lieutenant. I…wanted to….apologize…for the lunch," he muttered acting like he was being forced into this.

"Did Riza tell you to come here and say that?" Kat asked turning from him as she started cleaning the windows.

"Yeah…but I needed her push to get over my…how did she put it….my pride," Roy muttered glaring over his shoulder. "I really was sorry. I've never seen you that angry before and I think I prefer the happy Kathleen that always drives me nuts."

Kat sighed and ceased her cleaning before looking at him. "I'm not angry, Roy. Just disappointed. Elly and the rest I could understand, but you? If you didn't want me to go on a date with Havok for whatever reason you should have just said so. Or did you just not trust me?"

"It's not like that, I thought me sending you on all those important missions was proof enough that I trusted you," Roy said somewhat miffed. "I've never not trusted you its just there were times where I was really worried about your well being."

"Just what exactly did you expect to happen?" Kat asked him incredulously.

Roy was silent for a moment. "I've already given my apology. Will you accept it or not?"

"Yes, I accept it," Kat said turning away from him. "Now get out."

Roy stood still for several minutes before heaving a big sigh and walking forward. He gently placed a hand on Kat's bare shoulder causing her to freeze in her cleaning. "The reason I've been so worried lately is because I've had one person close to me die already and I didn't want to chance losing another."

Kat could feel her heart pounding so hard it was almost painful. She took a steadying breath but didn't look at him for fear of giving herself away. "I understand, Colonel. But you know, I don't think my brother wanted you to turn his wishes of keeping me safe into an obsession. That's why he kept you in the dark about a lot of things so that you wouldn't become distracted from your goals." And that's also why she chose to keep him in the dark about her own feelings.

"So you're keeping your brother's promise to help push me to the top, huh?" Roy said releasing her. "I appreciate all the help and I do understand why Hughes kept me in the dark, and I know now that worrying about you is only going to put me behind so I promise to let you do things like your brother used to."

"Thank you," Kat told him finally managing to smile at him. "It's about time you let me take care of you for a change."

Roy gave a small chuckle. "As odd as it is sometimes, I really prefer seeing you like this." Kat blushed but thankfully she didn't think Roy noticed for he turned on his heels and began walking out the door. "Nice outfit by the way, it really becomes you."

Kat closed her eyes for a moment before continuing her cleaning. "Idiot."

* * *

CM: Aw! Isn't that sweet? Next chapter things are getting heated up and a destination is set! Stay tuned!


	17. A Blast from the Past

**A Blast from the Past**

The next morning they all gathered together for their trip east. "So Mustang, where exactly are we going?" Elly asked as the train got underway. She was sitting in the window seat next to Kat and across from Mustang.

"We're going to Lior," Roy answered staring out the window.

"Okay," Elly admonished kicking back to enjoy the ride.

Kat meanwhile was staring at the mysterious person wearing a mask. "Hey, can I take this mask off now?" He asked Armstrong.

Kat started when she recognized the voice. "No way…"

"Go ahead," Armstrong permitted.

Elly heard the voice and a chill went down her spine. "It can't be…him," she whispered turning her head toward the voice.

The owner of the voice removed the mask revealing himself to be the Crimson Alchemist…Kimbly. "Kimbly what are you doing here?" Roy asked jumping up from his seat.

"Oh hey Major flame, or should I say Colonel? Nice to see your pretty face again," Kimbly replied.

"YOU….YOU…YOU'RE DEAD!!" Elly shouted jumping from her seat and rushing toward the alchemist.

She didn't manage to reach him, however, before she was flattened by Kat who had tackled her and was now attempting to pin her to the ground. "Stop it, Elly! This isn't the time or the place."

"My, my, yet another face I haven't seen for years," Kimbly said getting a good look at Elly.

Elly glared at him and continued to fight back, "Kat get off me. Don't hold me back this time. I'm going to kill him!!"

With that she managed to shove Kat off of her and quickly formed a wind weapon and went on the attack again only to be blocked this time by Havok. "Calm down Elly, you're only going to end up hurting yourself," Havok told her. He grabbed her wrist that held onto the weapon and forced it back.

"Is there a problem here, Colonel Mustang?" Archer asked, walking into the compartment.

"What the hell is Kimbly doing here?" Roy asked harshly.

"Zolf Kimbly was arrested for crimes he didn't commit and then placed under cruel testing in Lab 5 from which he heroically escaped," Archer explained sitting down next to Kimbly.

"Crimes he didn't commit my foot. That murderous freak doesn't deserve to be a state alchemist," Elly shouted fighting against Havok again.

"Really Mustang you should learn to control your own people," Archer said sitting down next to Kimbly.

"Yeah especially since you have an unstable Ishbalan on your hands," Kimbly added.

"Unstable, who are you calling unstable? You should really take a look at yourself before you go calling other people stuff like that," Elly shouted at him.

"That's enough Elly you're only going to end up getting yourself and all of us into trouble if you don't," Havok told her softly.

Elly gritted her teeth but slowly started to take deep steadying breaths. "Let me go Havok. Don't worry I'm through trying to kill that man. He's not even worth a punch," Elly said. Havok released her wearily and the moment he did, and Elly through her weapon just above Kimbly's head. "Consider that a warning, next time I won't miss."

"Havok, take Elly into a separate compartment until we've reached our destination," Roy ordered before Archer or Kimbly could do anything in response to her assault. "I'll deal with her personally later."

"Sure thing, Colonel," Havok said placing an arm on Elly's shoulder and leading her out.

"I shall expect better control of your partner, Lieutenant Kathleen," Roy said turning to her with a serious stare. "Remember that her actions reflect directly upon you."

"Yes sir," Kat said bowing her head feeling rather shamefaced. "Shall I go and keep an eye on her?" Kat offered.

"I think it would be best to let her cool off first," Roy replied sitting back down but keeping a close eye on Archer and Kimbly.

* * *

Back in the other compartment Elly sat down heavily and angrily stared out the window. "Hey are you doing alright, what was that all about?" Havok asked sitting down next to her.

"That stupid man murdered my brother's right in front of me and almost took me out as well," she told him savagely. "It's because of him that I no longer have a family."

Havok looked at her in sympathy. He pulled out a pack of his cigarettes and put one in his mouth. "I can understand why you'd be so angry, but you can't just go on a rampage like that. If the Colonel hadn't stepped in so quickly, you could have been placed in a holding cell or worse."

"Yeah I know…I guess I just lost it when I saw that he was still in the army after that slaughter," Elly said staring at the ground now sadly.

"I thought you had decided to forgive those who had caused what happened," Havok reminded her as he leaned back in his seat.

"Most of them I did because they seemed to regret it. Mustang, Armstrong, Marco they all were sorry for what happened…that's why I forgave them. But that man laughed as he killed them and he's still laughing…I can't forget what he did when he's still like that."

Havok came close to lighting his cigarette, but then stopped. He sighed before taking the cigarette out of his mouth and putting it away for later. "Just remember, revenge isn't something you should dwell on. It's not good for you."

Elly looked up having heard Scar say something similar a long time ago and smiled. "Thanks Havok…you really are a good friend." Soon after Havok left to go report to Mustang how she was doing and Elly stared out the window still feeling like crap but peaceful at the same time.

"So she's back to normal?" Roy asked worriedly.

"Yeah she just needed to recover from the shock of seeing him that's all," Havok whispered so Kimbly couldn't hear.

"She's not the only one," Roy muttered under his breath. "Just keep her away from him at all costs."

"You don't need to tell me that," Havok said with a slight smile.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kimbly was becoming 'reacquainted' with Kat having not had the chance before. "I still can't help but marvel that they would actually let a woman so young join the ranks of state alchemist." Kat didn't say anything in reply. "So just curious, how did you manage to get away from Greed without the state knowing that you were captured in the first place," Kimbly asked with a smile and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Are you going to blow me up if I don't tell you," Kat asked trying to appear indifferent to his obvious provocations.

"Now why would I do that?" Kimbly asked with a smile. "I was just concerned with the well being of an old friend's little sister."

"It's confidential," Kat told him finally.

Kimbly shrugged and removed his arm from her shoulder. "So who was that kid who really wanted me dead? Being an Ishbalan I can't remember every kid I ticked off," Kimbly said giving her a smile. "She did look familiar though, I wonder if she's the one whose brother I blew the face and arm off of."

Kat closed her eyes and tried to keep herself calm. So that was why Elly hated this man so much. He was the one responsible for taking her brother's life.

"Lieutenant we have arrived. It's time to go," Roy said breaking through their conversation. "I want you to get Elly before going inside and make sure she doesn't come in contact with him."

"Yes sir," Kat said.

Before she could leave he stopped her. "I don't want you coming in contact with him either, unless it's absolutely necessary," he told her sternly.

"Of course, Colonel," she said before going into the compartment Elly was in. "It's time. We're probably going to be here for a while so let's go get settled in."

Elly looked up at her and smiled. "Alright I might as well settle in. I'm sorry about what happened back there….I shouldn't have lost control like that. I didn't get you into trouble did I?"

"Nah, don't worry about it," Kat said with a smile. "Come on, let's go." They went and headed over to where they were to be positioned during their stay. "For now, I think it's best if we lay low until Colonel Mustang gives us a job," Kat told her once they were settled in. "As of now, I find it hard to trust anyone outside our circle."

"I agree with that one, if they brought Kimbly back then there is no telling how far up this corruption goes," Elly agreed. "And I promise to stay as far away from him as I can," she added seeing the look on Kat's face at the mention of Kimbly's name.

"Elly…" Kat began, but was interrupted by a knock on their door before someone entered.

"Forgive the intrusion," Archer said with his usual counterfeit smile. "But I wanted to have a word with you both."

Kat gave Elly a quick warning glance before turning back the Lt. Colonel. "What is it, Lt. Colonel Archer?"

"Mind if I come in first?" Archer asked smiling.

Elly thought for a second keeping her temper in check, "Sure I guess."

"Thank you." He walked into the room and sat down in one of the chairs. "So I assume you two are wondering why I called upon you," he started glancing around the room as he spoke. "You see I'm in need of your help here."

"Sir?" Kat asked.

"You see, we're looking for someone here," Archer explained. "It's quite possible that Scar is in Lior. And we're going to drive him out. I've heard that you both have had close up encounters with this monster. So maybe you could help us in tracking him down."

Kat, seeing Elly's reactions to his words, stepped in front of her. "Sir, I don't think Colonel Mustang would approve of this."

"Well you may not be able to do much Lt. but I know that Elly could if she really wanted. After all she isn't part of the military and is not obligated to follow orders like you are," Archer replied meeting Elly's deadly gaze. "I made sure that Kimbly was freed after he helped me out, I'm sure I could do the same for Scar…if you would help me that is."

"Tch, yeah right. Scar is a mass murderer of state alchemists, I'm pretty sure that no matter how much power you have you won't be able to help him even if you wanted to. Besides I know how scum like you work, the moment you feel that someone has out lived their usefulness you get rid of them in order to have some fresh meat," Elly retorted coldly.

"I must say, you have quite a tongue for an Ishbalen," Archer said not dropping his smile.

"Archer, what are you doing here?" Roy's voice demanded as he appeared in the doorway. "Need I remind you that these two are under my command?"

"Relax Mustang, I was merely having a friendly chat with them. Besides, last I checked that Ishbalen girl was merely your Lieutenant's tag along. By all rights she has no business being here in the first place." he said beginning to leave. "My offer still stands Elly. Do give it a little more thought."

Elly glared at his retreating back making a mental note to beat him the first chance she got. "What did he mean by that?" Roy asked turning on the two of them.

"He wanted us to go in and flush out Scar," Elly answered uncharacteristically fast. "I guess he thinks that because I'm an Ishbalan I can get him to follow me…fat chance of that. He wouldn't listen to me even if the city wasn't destroyed."

"I can see that you two really have made a remarkable reputation for yourselves," Roy remarked with a heavy sigh. "I'd rather you two not get involved with Archer or Kimbly, and it seems that the only way I can do that is to keep you both busy. So I'd like you to go on patrol with Havok and Breda."

"Sir!" Kat saluted her assent.

Elly hesitated, not wanting to be on the same patrol with Havok right now but gave in all the same and saluted her consent as well. "If you don't mind my asking, where are we patrolling?"

"Just around the general desert area," Roy informed them.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Kat said with a big grin. "Let's hop to it." And she quickly left the room.

"That's different," Roy commented to Elly with a frown. "Usually you're the first to leave."

"Yeah well I'm just not feeling like myself at the moment," Elly told him. "No need to worry though, it won't effect my performance level." She smiled at him and left following Kat to find Havok and Breda. A few minutes later they were walking through the desert checking all areas with Havok and Breda. Elly walked several paces behind everyone looking around slowly at the ruins of Ishbal.

"If you see anything suspicion, holler," Havok told them.

Kat was rather amazed at how desolate the place seemed. So this was where it all happened. The war of Ishbal, where countless lost their lives and many came back scarred from the experience. She could only imagine how Elly was feeling right now seeing all of this and being reminded of that nightmare.

Perhaps this was why her brother hadn't wanted her to join the military at so young an age. Suddenly out of the corner of her eye she caught movement and she looked to see off in the distance, two figures. "Look!" Kat said in an urgent, but not necessarily loud tone.

They all glanced in the direction she indicated and crept slowly in that direction. They reached a wall that separated them from the two figures and Havok and Breda glanced around only to see Ed and Al standing there arguing with each other.

"What are those two doing out here?" Elly asked in a hushed whisper.

"Who knows, we do need to report this to the Colonel though," Havok responded softly. Somehow the two heard them because Ed shouted out to them and all of a sudden a huge creature of sand appeared and tackled them.

Kat, having been prepared for this sort of thing, quickly ducked under one of the ruins as the sand came crashing down. "Well that's nice. Not even any time to defend ourselves." Havoc and Breda began digging there way under the sand until Al reached down into the sand and lifted them out.

"Huh? You guys?" Ed said in amazement.

Kat decided it was safe to crawl out of her hiding spot. "Fancy running into you two out here."

"Kat, you're out here too? What's going on?" Al asked setting the two soldiers back down.

"Short people got…no reason. Short people got…no reason. Short people got….no reason to live," a voice sang out walking up behind the pair.

"I AM NOT SHORT," Ed shouted spinning around.

Havoc, Breda, Kat, and even Al couldn't help but laugh at Elly's sudden bursting into song. "So if you guys are here that must mean the Colonel is here too," Ed said darkly.

"You got it," Havok said with a nod. "We were just out patrolling and happened to spot the two of you."

"Does that mean Scar is here too?" Ed asked turning to Elly.

"I have no idea Ed. I haven't seen him," Elly answered without letting anything slip. She really didn't want to make the others liable for her lie. "The Colonel is going to want to talk to you though so we'd better get back," she added looking in the direction of Eastern.

* * *

"Well," Roy spoke once Ed and Al were back. "I didn't expect to see YOU here Ed."

"Yeah, I get it. I'm so small you couldn't depict me amongst the millions of grains of sand. VERY FUNNY," Ed shouted. Kat had to stifle a laugh as she listened in on the conversation between Roy and the Elric brothers. She and Elly weren't allowed in there because Archer was in there too.

Elly snickered silently as she heard the sound of a gun being drawn and then it stopped. "Way to go Ed join me on Archer's bad side," she whispered to herself.

"I understand you've been making a mess of things. Southern headquarters and an Ishbalan train," Roy said to the boys catching them off guard. "No more, from now on you'll be working under my command."

"Now doesn't that sound familiar," Kat thought.

She continued listening. Ed mentioned a war while Roy and Archer insisted it was just a peace keeping movement. Then Ed finally said, "Scar's your real target. Truth is, we're after him too."

There was silence for a few moments before Roy said, "Come with me you two, we're having lunch in a couple minutes." That was Kat's cue to return to her standing position a couple yards from the door. She stood straight and pretended as if she had been keeping watch the whole time.

Elly stood leaning against the wall like always and waited for the Colonel to come out. "So where you going now?' she asked grinning widely.

"We're going to lunch, would you two care to join us," Roy answered leading the way to the cafeteria. Elly loved the idea and followed taking great care to stay as far away from Archer as she could. A few moments later they stopped at the cafeteria and while they ate Mustang had three separate maps out in the open.

"Here's the visual we got from our latest surveillance balloon," Havok pointed it out to them. Ed looked upon it with shock and Kat could understand why. It looked like someone had turned the whole city into a transmutation circle.

"This city, where is this?" Ed asked.

"It's Lior," Fury told him.

"What's going on in Lior?" Ed asked as he continued to stare at the paper.

Fury started to explain that someone had liberated the people from a false priest who came back and lead the people in an armed uprising. "That's enough Fury, Ed is familiar with Lior's past," Roy said cutting Fury short.

"I don't get it, an armed uprising in Lior?" Ed asked.

"That doesn't make sense, I thought we freed it from Cornello," Al added.

"He came back," Havok informed them. "And soon the place was divided into two sides, the people who supported him or were against him. All you did was stir up the conflict and now both sides hate us."

"Why didn't anyone tell us?" Ed demanded.

"I chose not to tell you because it was too big for you," Roy told him firmly. This did nothing to improve Ed's mood and he left without another word.

After Ed left, Elly took a hold of the map to get a better look at what was bugging him and saw to her dismay the symbol that was on her brother's arm. "Brother you aren't really going to do it there are you?" she thought to herself. Then shaking her head she put the map back on the table and left the room to get some fresh air.

As she went she ran into Archer who beckoned to her to follow. She really didn't want to, but felt like it would be best if she did. She followed Archer into his office where he sat down in his chair before turning around to face her. "So what do you want Archer?" she asked putting her hands behind her head.

"It's not too late, Elly," Archer told her. "I can still get you permission to go out onto the field. All I ask is a little quid pro quo if you will."

Elly stayed silent for several minutes thinking hard before she answered. "No, I'm not going out there to find Scar for you," Elly answered.

"Why not?" Archer asked angrily. "He is after all the alchemist killer. Why not bring him in and help out your alchemist friends?"

"Because Scar may be an alchemist killer but he's still an Ishbalan and I won't do anything to help bring him in. I won't stop you if you find him but I won't help you find him," she answered glaring at him.

"It's not like I'm getting you to do this for free. Equivalent exchange and all, no I'm willing to make sure that your brother is not hurt in any way," Archer told her quickly.

"What kind of a promise is that? You don't even know my brother much less if he's alive," Elly said throwing her arms in the air.

"Don't act like I didn't do my research. I know that Scar is indeed your older brother and that is why you are protecting him. Now usually men like him would be executed on the spot, but if you help bring him in then I'll make sure he doesn't die and is returned to you with the utmost gratitude."

"I said forget it. I know how men like you work and there's no way that even if I did help he would be kept alive," Elly answered.

Archer was about to make an angry retort when there was a knock on his door. "What is it?" He demanded angrily.

"Fullmetal is here to see you sir," an officer said coming in.

"I see," Archer said appearing to relax a great deal. "Show him in." Then he looked at Elly. "You'll regret not supporting me when you had the chance," he told her. "You're excused."

Elly gave him a smug grin before she turned and walked out the door giving a warm greeting to Ed as she left. "Elly where did you disappear to?" Havok asked as he came around a corner.

"Archer wanted to see me for a minute," Elly explained.

"Really, what did he want?"

"He wanted me to join his side. I turned him down heavily and now he hates my guts," Elly explained laughing.

"I really wish you wouldn't make a habit of making enemies around here, Elly," Havok said with a weary sigh as he walked with her down the hallway. "It only makes me worry about you even more."

* * *

Kat appeared at the opposite end of the hall just as they turned around the corner out of sight. She had decided to leave the two alone. Slowly she walked down the hall stopping outside Archer's door when she heard Edward's voice. She was considering finding what they were speaking about when a sly voice came from behind her.

"Curiosity killed the cat you know." Kat turned to see Kimbly grinning at her.

"I wasn't listening in," she defensively.

"I saw that look on your face, the one that says I really want to hear this," Kimbly said smiling. "You might not have heard anything just yet but you were going to. Archer isn't a very tolerable person and if he got wind of this he would eat you alive."

"And I suppose you're going to tell him?" Kat asked him in a placid tone.

"Nah, I really don't care either way," Kimbly said with a shrug. "As I've said before. I just want another chance to make fireworks again. To feel components shifting beneath my fingers. To hear that glorious boom."

"How can you talk like that?" Kat asked in disbelief.

"Come on Kat," Kimbly said walking towards her and she had to will herself not to move backwards away from him. "You can't tell me that every time you use your alchemy you don't get that thrill of power. Every alchemist does, even your friend, Elly. Even you."

Kat hurriedly shook her head. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course I do, I've seen your face when you use your alchemy and I've seen your friend's face. You two absolutely delight in the fact that you have the power to make just about anyone quiver with fear," Kimbly replied laughing.

"You don't know Elly, and you don't know me," Kat told him, her voice trembling.

"Oh, but I do," Kimbly told her, leaning in so that his face was inches from hers. "You may act like a sweet, innocent little girl. But deep down, you're the same as I am. You know it, I know it, and you're brother probably knew it as well. Which is probably why he didn't want you becoming an alchemist in the first place." Kat's hand reached out to hit him but he grabbed her wrist. "I wouldn't try that if I were you."

"I'm not afraid of you," she told him resolutely.

"Maybe, but is that really wise?" Kimbly asked letting her hand go. "Try it again and you may end up losing it."

"Why are you even here?" Kat asked him. "What is it that you want from me?"

"I'm just enjoying the company of my favorite female alchemist that's all," Kimbly said straightening up. "Besides since your brother died you are the only one here who knows how to have fun."

"I don't understand you," Kat said shaking her head. "I know you're not this terrible person you make yourself out to be. You weren't like this when I first met you."

"People change Kat," Kimbly told her. "It's a way of life."

"People may change, but they don't just become another person entirely," Kat said folding her arms. "You were my friend once."

"What, and I'm not any longer?" Kimbly asked frowning. "I didn't think you changed enough to where you didn't like me any longer, Kat. If you ask me you are the one who became a different person not me."

Kat gave a mirthless laugh. "I guess you're right. I have become a different person. Truth is, my dislike of you came solely from my empathy towards Elly's feelings about you. I personally had nothing against you."

"So then why not forget her and just let things between us go back to the way they used to be?" Kimbly asked with an innocent smile.

"As much as I want to, I can't do that either," Kat said sadly. "My friend Kimbly was a nice guy who liked to laugh and turned rocks into fireworks. He never killed just for sheer pleasure." She turned and began walking away from him. "I have to report to Colonel Mustang."

Kimbly reached out to grab her but stopped as Colonel Mustang came around the corner. "Lt. what are you doing here? I thought you were looking for Elly. What are you doing with my Lieutenant, Kimbly?" Roy asked glancing between the two.

Kimbly's face contorted with anger at the appearance of the Flame alchemist, but then he smile and shrugged. "Why nothing, Colonel. We were just having a friendly chat. We're done now, so she's all yours," he said before turning on his heel and leaving. Kat watched him go and couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness and guilt.

"Are you alright?" Roy's voice asked, cutting across her thoughts. "He didn't touch you, did he?"

"No, it's fine, nothing happened," Kat reassured him.

"What are you even doing in this area?" He asked.

"I was looking for Elly, and then I was distracted when I heard Ed's voice coming from Colonel Archer's office."

"What, Ed's in Archer's office?" Roy asked angrily. Then he marched down the hall and threw the door open breaking through Archer's conversation. "Ed what in the world are you doing in here?"

"Always overreacting Mustang, Full Metal here has just agreed to do some investigation in Lior," Archer replied.

"You're going to let our most prized alchemist go on a vacation?" Roy asked.

"Yes, it was his talents in alchemy that made me quite sure that he'd be able to make it back alive," Archer replied. "And we don't have to worry about him going AWOL. He's leaving his brother here as collateral." Kat remained outside, not wanting to get in the middle of it, until Ed walked out of the office with Roy behind him.

"Why didn't you come to me Ed?" Roy demanded.

"Because I know you would have said no," Ed told him simply.

"You're not thinking clearly because you are upset about hearing what's happening in Lior," Roy scolded.

"And I wonder why that is?" Ed asked sarcastically before walking away.

"Sometimes that kid really gets to me," Roy muttered.

"He's just trying to get something accomplished, sir," Kat spoke up. "It's hard to just sit by and watching things happen."

"Just what is it that he hopes to accomplish by going there?" Roy asked rounding on her.

"I'm not sure," Kat said. "But I can sympathize with him."

Roy sighed and shook his head, "I can sympathize with him just fine the problem is that I never understand why he does what he does."

"The same reason you do what you do Colonel," Kat advised. "He has his own goals and ambitions. He knows what he needs to do and acts upon that knowledge. And he's willing to do whatever it may take. In that way, he's a lot like you."

"You're starting to sound a lot like Hawkeye," he told her.

"Sorry, I was attempting a philosophical moment. I'm finished now," Kat said with a grin.

Roy shook his head and continued down the hall. He never turned around to look at her but a small smile slowly appeared upon his lips as he went. "Let's get back to our temporary HQ Lieutenant I'm sure the others are waiting."

"Yes, sir," Kat agreed, following right behind him.

* * *

CM: Next time, a little flash-backing here, some angst there, good times. Stay tuned! ;P


	18. An Exploding Friendship

An Exploding Friendship

Later that night, Kat snuck out of her bedroom to where Kimbly was being held. She knew that he wasn't allowed to be seen by anyone. By all rights, they should have never had that conversation earlier since he wasn't supposed to come out.

Archer thought it was too big of a risk since everyone thought him dead. She wasn't sure why she felt she needed to speak with him. Maybe she wanted to apologize for her cold words. Maybe a part of her hoped that the Kimbly she knew from before was still there somewhere.

As she drew closer to the area, she heard a ruckus going on and was shocked to see Alphonse and Kimbly fighting each other, and a woman lying on the ground nearby, whom she recognized to be one of Greed's followers. "Stop… Stop this! What do you think you're doing?" She shouted at the pair.

"Kat, I'm just keeping him from hurting her," Al said motioning toward the girl lying on the ground.

"What are you doing out here anyway Kat? Aren't you supposed to be in your room with your Colonel?" Kimbly asked attacking Al again.

The question hit her so hard that he might as well have thrown a brick in her face. Never before had she ever heard his voice drenched with such malice. She was so stunned all she could do was watch as Kimbly was trapped by Alphonse's alchemy. She didn't even try to stop Marta as she ran off. "Off on a midnight stroll, Lieutenant?" Kat whirled around and gave a bow of her head. "I'm sorry, Colonel. I heard a ruckus and… I'm sorry."

"That's all right. Kimbly the Elric brothers fall under my direct command so if you have a problem with Al put it in writing," Roy told Kimbly with a small grin.

"No problem Colonel, just keep that hunk of junk away from me," Kimbly said smirking.

"Kat, Al, it's probably best if the two of you get back inside," Roy continued turning to his two subordinates.

"Of course, sir. I hope you have a good night," Kat complied, taking Al by the arm and guiding him inside with little protest.

Once they were far enough away Al whispered, "Thanks for not mentioning Marta to anyone."

"It's no problem," Kat told him letting him into her room so that they could speak privately. "But why is she here? Wasn't she with Greed?"

"Greed and his men were attacked by the military and killed," Al explained. "Marta was the only one who escaped because she was inside of me, and Ed killed Greed."

Kat's eyes widened in shock. "Ed… killed him?"

"He didn't mean to," Al added quickly. "At least, that wasn't his intention. It just sort of happened."

"When did it happen?" Kat asked.

"Later that day you and I were captured, actually," Al admitted.

Kat looked away. "You don't say… Is there anything else that I should know about? Anything at all? I promise I won't tell anyone, so please…"

"Well…Marta told Ed and I why the Ishbalan war was really started. Is that something you want to know?" Al asked rubbing the back of his head.

Kat was silent for a moment before silently nodding her head. "Yes… I want to know everything." Even though she knew it would hurt her, she didn't want to be in the dark anymore. "Even… no, especially what was done to prisoners in the army."

So Al told her everything that Marta explained to him and Ed. That the war was started by the military using special ops to slaughter a large group of them. Then after the Ishbalans retaliated they took those involved in the first attack and used them in the chimera experiments.

After the explanation, Kat closed her eyes and mulled over all that she had learned. "Are you alright?" Al asked her worriedly.

"I'm fine, Alphonse," Kat told him with a soft smile. "The truth can sometimes be a very terrible thing. I knew that and accepted that fact a long time ago. Thank you for sharing with me."

"It was no problem. Equivalent exchange, right?"

"Heh, sure. I guess you could look at it like that."

"So, what now?"

"Now, all we can do is move forward and prevent history from repeating itself," Kat told him.

"Right, you should probably get some rest," Al told her standing up. "You look really tired."

Kat gave him a weary smile. "Thanks Al. I'll try."

* * *

Kat was wandering around Central headquarters searching for where her brother was. He had told her to stay in his office until he was out of his meting, but she had gotten bored and decided to do some exploring. Now she was going door to door, listening in on some of the conversations going on within, trying to find where her brother was.

"Curiosity killed the cat you know," a voice said directly behind her at one of the doors. She spun around to see a tall man with a long dark ponytail and a silver pocket watch at his hip. "You really shouldn't be eavesdropping you'll get into a lot of trouble."

"Sorry, I was just looking for my brother," Kat apologized looking up at the man. "Wait a minute, how did you know my name?"

The man stared at her for a moment before letting out a chuckle. "I think I know who you are. You're Maes Hughes little sister, Kathleen Hughes. Otherwise known as Kat."

Kat nodded her head. "That's right."

"Well you really shouldn't be wandering around here alone, even with Sergeant Hughes as your older brother," Kimbly told her with a frown on his face. Then suddenly a huge grin appeared on his face, "I've got an idea. Come with me." He grabbed onto her arm gently and ran off with her in his arms.

"Um, my brother told me I'm not supposed to go with strangers," Kat mentioned as she was dragged along, not really putting up much resistance, since she didn't have a bad feeling around this person.

"Then it's a good thing I'm not a stranger, huh? I happen to know your brother, and he talks about you non-stop."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he won't shut up about you," Kimbly said with a laugh. "I can just imagine what he'll be like if he ever has a kid."

They got outside and Kat glanced around. "What are we out here for?" She asked.

He didn't say anything but picked up a few rocks and with a flash of bright light he threw the stones into the air. "Now watch carefully okay," Kimbly said pointing at the stones. Suddenly the stones burst into pieces with many different colors and small explosions. "So what do you think?" Kimbly asked as the makeshift fireworks started to fall toward the ground.

Kat stared in awe. "Wow!" She exclaimed, the light of the fireworks shining off of her eyes wide open in wonder. "So you're an alchemist?"

"State alchemist to be precise," he told her with an air of superiority. "The name's Zolf Kimbly. But people around here know me as the Crimson Alchemist."

"I'm going to be a state alchemist too someday," Kat told him with poise.

"Are you sure you want to join? If war starts up you might have to kill some people," Kimbly told her with a raised eyebrow. "Besides I doubt Hughes would ever let you join, he'd worry about you too much."

"I know. My brother told me all there was to know about being a state alchemist, since his best friend is one. But it's something I really want to do. If I could, I'd take the entrance exams now. But bro says he wants me to finish school before I even consider joining the military," she finished with a small pout.

Kimbly laughed out loud, "I knew he wasn't about to let you join just like that. He's a smart man…there are rumors going around that the war in the East is going to get worse. If it does us state alchemists will have to go out and put an end to it."

"Does that mean you'll have to go?" Kat asked him.

"Me and any other accomplished state alchemist," he said shrugging.

"Will you be okay?" Kat asked him. "You seem like a nice guy. I wouldn't mind working with you once I join the military."

Kimbly chuckled and shook his head while ruffling Kat's hair. "You really should worry more about what you are doing right now instead of focusing on what could happen," he told her. "But enough talk about that, on with the fireworks." And with that he launched several more rocks into the air smiling at the different reactions that came to Kat's face.

* * *

"Hey Kat get up the Colonel is calling," Elly called to the sleeping Kat. Kat groaned and turned over on her bed. "This is so not like you….I'm usually the one who needs to be woken up. LIEUTENANT KATHLEEN HUGHES, GET UP NOW," Elly shouted putting on Roy's voice.

"Gah!" Kat shouted rolling off the bed and landed with a hard thud onto the floor. She sat up rubbing her new bruises and feeling slightly disoriented. "What's going on?" She asked in a dazed voice.

Elly laughed at her reaction before explaining herself, "The Colonel just called for us Kat. You were in a deep sleep so I did the only thing I could think of to get you up….pretend to be him."

"Sorry about that," Kat said while gingerly picking herself off the floor. "I was up kind of late last night." She shook her head trying to clear the images of fireworks from her mind. She walked into her closet and shut the door. There was some rustling noises and ten seconds later she walked out in uniform. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Wow I'll never understand how you army people dress so fast," Elly mumbled shaking her head. "Come on, from what I heard the Fuehrer is supposed to be arriving here today."

"The Fuhrer?" Kat said in shock grabbing Elly and dragging her down the hall at full speed. "Then we better get over there fast." When they got there, all the soldiers were lined up awaiting the Furher's arrival.

Kat spotted Colonel Mustang and quickly stepped in line. "Where were you?" Were the first words out of his mouth upon sensing her presence.

"Sorry, I guess I slept in," Kat said apologetically.

"That's not like you…are you feeling alright?" Roy asked glancing down at her.

"Yeah she's fine Colonel, no illness at any rate," Elly said stepping in. "Don't worry about it too much Kat, I heard the Colonel did too."

An irritation mark appeared on Roy's forehead. But before he could say or do anything the doors swung open and the Fuhrer walked in with his escort. Everyone in the room saluted including Kat and Elly.

The Fuehrer walked past slowly with a beautiful woman next to him who happened to be his secretary, and only after he went through the opposite doors did the soldiers lower their salutes. "Okay I understand that that guy is the leader of the army but is it really necessary to hold the salute the entire time he's present?" Elly asked feeling a little confused.

"It's a way of welcome and a show of respect," Roy told her shortly. "So yes, it is necessary."

"Is there anything else you need from us Colonel?" Kat asked Roy politely.

"I would like you to go through the records room to see if you can't find anything useful on Lior," Roy told them as the congregation of soldiers dissipated.

"Sure thing…is there anything specific you were curious about?" Elly asked raising an eyebrow.

"No it's just that not much is known about Lior and maybe there is something there that could help in this situation," Roy answered as he began walking toward the door. "If you do find anything be sure to only report it to me."

"You got it Mustang," Elly said before turning to go through the opposite door.

For the next few hours Elly and Kat searched through the records trying to find something useful. But most of the information was on Lior's history, how it was built, the citizens who lived there, and then the whole priest issue.

"It doesn't seem like we're finding anything interesting," Kat said with a yawn. She picked up another book and began skimming through it. She was about to put that away when she saw something interesting. "Hey, Elly. Take a look at this. Apparently Lior has an intricate array of catacombs beneath the city."

"Really? That could be useful for two different reasons. We could use it to get the people of Lior out before Archer goes on his little rampage…or we could give this info to the army to use in order to infiltrate the town with no resistance," Elly said sighing heavily. "Man sometimes it's a real pain to be friendly with the army. If I didn't feel any respect for the Colonel I'd take this info and get the people out of there tonight."

Kat smiled, glad that Elly now had such a fondness for the flame alchesmist. "Well, let's go find the Colonel and report this to him," Kat said bookmarking the page and taking it with them. Surprisingly though the Colonel wasn't in his office. So they tried looking around until they saw the whole group gathered around Al and something dark staining the ground. When they got closer, Kat realized what it was and went pale.

"What happened here?" Elly asked the moment she got close. The smell of blood was strong and brought back several painful memories for Elly.

"This woman was killed while inside of Al," Breda answered pointing at the covered body several feet from Al.

"Who was it?" Elly asked somewhat afraid of the answer.

"It was Marta," Al choked out.

Kat dropped the book she was holding but nobody heard it. For at that moment Hawkeye spoke up angrily at Armstrong. "You knew about this, didn't you?"

"You were working for Archer and probably knew exactly what was going on," Hawkeye continued.

"Yeah if you know anything about this you should spill it Major," Havok added.

"Stop it all of you," Al said breaking through the argument. "An eye for an eye, it doesn't work. You should all just stop fighting."

"Major you've been thinking like Hughes haven't you? I stay here and help boost your position from below isn't that what you've been thinking old buddy?" Roy asked Armstrong.

The others gasped in surprise but the Major said that he had no idea what Mustang meant. Then as the Colonel passed Al he looked around in surprise. "Where did Kat go?"

Elly looked to her side and saw the book that Kat had been carrying lying on the ground, then she looked back up and took a step back as the eyes of the whole group were on her. "What, don't look at me. I didn't do anything."

* * *

"Wait!" The Crimson Alchemist turned around and couldn't help but smirk when he saw who it was. The chimera's around looked poised to attack but he halted them. "Easy boys, she's a friend." When Kat caught up to him she took a few moments to catch her breath. "I have to say, that intuition of yours is as sharp as ever," Kimbly commended.

"Kimbly, I don't know what exactly you're planning but please," she spoke between gasps. "Don't go to Lior."

He smirked at her plea, "Want to come with me? You'd really enjoy the thrill of the hunt."

"No," Kat said shaking her head. "I don't think I would enjoy harming innocent people."

"These people are defying the military, not to mention they're hiding a wanted criminal. They're all guilty of treason towards the military if you want to look at it that way."

"That doesn't make this right," Kat insisted.

"Come on Kat," Kimbly said stepping closer to her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "All it takes is one kill. Sure, it's startling at first. But after that it just keeps getting easier and easier until it almost becomes second nature. War is filled with terrible things, and you can either let them eat away at your sanity or just take them and enjoy them for what they are."

Kat stared at him, her eyes filling with sadness. "Is that what happened to you? You couldn't stand being in the war so you turned yourself into this?"

"Into what? I haven't changed at all, I only brought out this side of me that was always dying to get out," Kimbly explained. "Are you sure you don't want to come? I'd even let you have that Scar guy and become a hero by making sure he never hurt anyone else."

"So this is what it comes down to," Kat spoke softly, bowing her head. "And here I thought I could talk you out of this. But I guess that was just wishful thinking."

Kimbly frowned as she pulled herself out of his grip and turned away from him. "You're throwing away the chance of a lifetime. I'll only ask once more…"

"I'm sorry, but my brother always told me not to go with strangers," Kat whispered sadly and attempted to walk away.

But his hand reached out to grab her wrist. "You really think I'm just going to let you skip off and report this to Mustang?"

Kat looked at him with heartbroken eyes. "Do you want to hurt me? Is that it?"

Kimbly grip loosened in surprise at her question but he quickly got his composure back. "You've known me for how long and you felt the need to ask me that?" He stared at her saddened expression for sometime before he continued. "I'm not going to hurt you but I still can't have you warning your Colonel about this." He pulled her toward himself and smiled, "If I let you go now it'll almost be like you eavesdropped on all of this and I can't let you continue in that habit."

Kat stared at him for several moments before speaking. "If you let me go, I swear on my brother's grave that I won't tell anyone that you left. I just want you to know this, however, when you leave," she said before stepping forward and hugging him. "Whatever happens, just know that at least one person will miss you when you're gone."

Kimblee smiled again, "Alright I'll let you go but only because I know that you have never lied in your life. As to you missing me, there will be no reason for that comment because there's nothing those people can do to end my life." With that he let go of her and headed out with all of the Chimeras.

Kat watched him disappear out of sight before turning and heading back to headquarters. As she was on her way back to her room, she bumped into Fury. "There you are!" He exclaimed. "Ever since your disappearing act earlier, the Colonel and everyone else have been worried."

"Sorry about that Fury," Kat said with a weak smile. "I had something I needed to take care of."

"Well, I think you should come and let everyone know you're back. They're in the west conference room. Just down the hall. I'm heading there right now."

"Thanks, I'll do that," she said before heading over to the room with him.

Elly was just getting herself comfortable in one of the comfy couches when Kat walked through the door with Fury. "Where have you been Lieutenant?" Roy asked glaring at her.

"Why not forget about that for a minute and tell her what just happened Mustang," Elly said cutting into his tirade.

"Right well Edward just sent a letter to me with this boy. According to him Scar is planning on making the stone and warns us not to go into Lior…apparently he plans to use our troops as materials for the stone," Roy explained.

"One thing after another, huh?" Kat said in a weary voice. "And why is Breda lying on the floor like that?" she noted the passed out man.

"Well according to Al it takes human life to create the stone," Hawkeye started.

"But with Scar's method it would take thousands more," Elly finished. There was a thick silence in the room after this pronouncement and Elly tried very hard to keep from showing her despair.

"I'm going to try to convince Archer not to attack Lior, though he probably will anyway. The rest of you I want you to try to get as many of the soldiers to not go as possible."

The men saluted before walking out with Fulman and Fury dragging the unconscious Breda. Kat was about to follow when she felt someone catch hold of the back of her collar and jerking her to a stop. "Not so fast, Lieutenant," Roy told her sternly. "It would seem you still haven't learned your lesson of running off without any notification of your whereabouts. As punishment you'll be sticking with me until further notice."

"Yes sir," Kat said hanging her head.

Roy sighed, unable to help but remember how running off wasn't exactly new for her....

* * *

"Roy! You gotta help me!" Hughes exclaimed crashing through the door into Roy's office with chibi tears of hysteria running down his cheeks. "My baby sister, my one and only pride and joy! SHE'S GONE!"

Roy rolled his eyes and stood up taking a deep breath. "Hughes where was the last place you saw her?" he asked smoothly.

"In the lounge, but I just went back to get her and she was missing."

"She probably just got bored and wandered off Hughes, we'll just go around asking the other soldiers if they saw her okay. It can't be that hard to locate your sister."

"That's what I'm worried about," Hughes whined. "What if someone took off with her? I mean she's so cute and adorable they'd probably want to steal her away from me!"

"Only in your twisted mind," Roy muttered leading the way out of his office. "If you're so worried maybe you should hire a babysitter."

"Wow, that's a great idea. Thanks for volunteering Roy. I knew I could count on you."

"Forget it. I've got a lot of work to do and having her around would only make it that much harder to accomplish," Roy grumbled. There was a flash of light as they passed one of the third story windows and looking down they saw Kat enjoying fireworks made by the smiling crimson alchemist. "Looks like you found your babysitter Hughes," Roy said with a smirk.

"My little sister is okay! Oh thank goodness. My life has meaning once more." Then when Roy mentioned a babysitter, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, well I suppose it's an alternative. But I think I'd be more comfortable if she was with you, Roy."

"Well unfortunately I am too busy to take care of her Hughes…if nothing else leave her with your girlfriend," Roy said shaking his head and turning away from the window.

"Roy," Hughes said suddenly sounding serious. "If anything were to ever happen to me, you would take care of her wouldn't you? Somehow I feel you're the only one I can trust her with."

"I don't understand why you're asking me this but yes I would," Roy answered raising an eyebrow. "I think it's a long way's off from your death so why worry about it right now?"

"I suppose you're right," Hughes said with a broad grin. "Now come on, let's go get my sister and get some lunch."

"I have work you know," Roy began but Hughes would not let him finish.

"Oh nonsense, you should take a break once in a while. Enjoy life. As they say, life is short and you're dead a long time."

* * *

Roy placed a hand on Kat's shoulder. "I expect you to watch my back, Lieutenant," He said in a lighter tone. "Can I count on you?"

Kat smiled a little. "Yes, sir."

"Good," he said before ruffling her hair a little bit and she laughed.

Elly shook her head but went with the other men to start spreading the word. Some time the next morning Roy, Armstrong, Kat, and Archer were all in the Fuhrer's office discussing the inevitable battle. "Archer we should wait to attack Lior, there is no other option here," Roy said authoritatively.

"If we wait then we might miss our chance to end this rebellion for good. We should attack now while they are helpless," Archer expressed motioning toward the city bathed in the morning sunlight.

"I don't think so," Furher Bradly said after taking a sip of his tea. "I hear that the Fullmetal alchemist is alive and healthy. So I think it would be best if we solved this diplomatically."

"But sir, that will never work," Archer protested.

"He's right," Armstrong spoke up. "You know we can't attack innocent civilians without a legitimate reason, Archer."

Archer's face contorted with anger. "Let's wait a little longer before making any rash decisions," Bradly stated. "You're all dismissed." Archer left in a huff while Kat followed closely behind Roy and Armstrong. She wasn't sure why, but she had the distinct feeling that the Fuhrer's eyes were boring into her back.

"I don't think that Archer is going to keep from entering Lior," Roy said stopping at the first corner after exiting the Fuhrer's office.

"Sir the troops have all been warned but few of them are listening," Hawkeye reported as she approached the group. "Apparently Archer already told all of them that they'd be going in and that they would be shot for disobeying his orders."

"I was afraid of this. Lt. Hawkeye I want you to accompany the Major, Lt. Kathleen and I on a mission to confront Archer," Roy said coming to a decision.

"Of course, Colonel," Hawkeye said with a salute.

On their way down Roy spoke softly to Kat. "You still haven't told me where you went."

"I'm afraid it was a matter on a personal level, Colonel," Kat said not looking at him. "And I'm also afraid that I can't apologize for my actions."

"And why is that?"

"Because to say I'm sorry would be a lie, Colonel."

He shook his head but smiled at her honesty. A few minutes later they reached a large metal door that when opened revealed Archer and Tucker around a cage of chimeras. "So this is where your base was located Archer," Roy said glancing around the dingy room. "Real cozy."

Hawkeye saw someone moving behind Archer and pointed her gun at him. "You, hands up!" The person turned around and Kat recognized him at once as Shou Tucker. Hawkeye was so startled by his appearance that she began shooting at him and he ducked behind the cage.

"Stop shooting at him," Kat told her.

"Lieutenant, calm down," Roy ordered Riza. "He's no threat."

"No, just a pity," Armstrong said. "What's left of Shou Tucker the Life Sewing Alchemist."

"Major I see that you've had a sudden change of heart and won't be helping me now," Archer retorted.

"I've never been on your side Archer, I was just playing the part. I needed to get to the bottom of the corruption and sometimes you have to work with vermin to sniff out a rat," Armstrong replied coldly.

"You must be naive to believe that the army can function well without a little corruption in its ranks," Archer retorted. Then turning around, "Tucker do it now." Tucker seemed a little startled but brought his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud whistle calling out the chimeras from the cage.

"What do you hope to accomplish from this circus act?" Roy demanded as they were surrounded by chimeras.

"You went to Ishbal and came back a hero. Now I have Lior, it's my turn for fame," Archer said before disappearing behind the door with Tucker, leaving the four to deal with the chimeras. Even if they were chimeras, Kat still felt bad about having to kill them.

"Lieutenant Kathleen we're going on the attack," Roy said facing the Chimeras. Then he glanced back at her and grinned, "Watch our backs for us okay."

* * *

CM: More excitement to come! Stay tuned. Yeah, I know, not much of a fortelling but it's early in the morning and I tired -_-. I still love you guys. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	19. Just Keep Moving Forward

CM: Yeah, I know, it's been forever since I've posted for this story. And I feel that since I started it, I might as well finish it right? Actually, I'm more looking forward to the sequal of this. Yes, I know, but don't roll your eyes just yet. More details at the end of the chapter. :P Enjoy!

**Just Keep Moving Forward**

Back outside Havok, Breda, Fury and Fulman were running around trying to figure out where the Colonel went to and try to keep as many soldiers as they could from entering Lior. "Hey guys it looks like Archer is mobilizing his troops to enter Lior," Breda said having stopped next to one of the many windows.

"Great I guess the Colonel was unsuccessful at convincing him not to," Fulman said sadly.

"This is no time to be down we've got to keep trying before it's too late," Elly scolded them from behind. "The Colonel wouldn't give up and we shouldn't either."

Havok couldn't help but grin. "The girl's got a point."

"Well, I'm not going to let the Colonel down without at least giving it my all," Fury stated.

"I'm with you there buddy," Breda agreed.

"I also concur," Fulman said with a nod.

As the three went off to continue their efforts, Havok exhaled a cloud of smoke from his cigarette. "I gotta say, you really know how to get people motivated."

"I had a little practice," Elly said as she followed the others. "It wasn't easy keeping the spirits of my people high when we kept getting attacked again and again."

"Well, from what I saw when we were transporting them, you did a really good job," Havok told her, putting out the cancer stick. "But knowing you, I can't say I was really all that surprised."

"Really? I thought that I just sat around causing everyone problems and ticking them off for my own enjoyment," Elly retorted.

Havoc gave a laugh. "To be honest, we wouldn't have it any other way."

Elly laughed at his comment glad to see that at least someone didn't see her as a pain. Suddenly her brother's voice sounded in her ears, "I love you, Elenora."

She spun around fear gripping her entire body as a bright pink light lit up the sky. "No brother, you didn't. You idiot, why did you have to do that?" she thought to herself as she pounded her fist on the sill. Then making up her mind she started to open the window and climb onto the sill.

Havok seized her around the waist and dragged her back out of the window with ease. "Elly, stop! What do you think you're…" He stopped, as he stared out the window. "Lior…. It's gone."

* * *

Back down in the basement, as Kat was helping out the other three holding off the chimeras, she suddenly felt a wave of foreboding rush through her. It was the same feeling she remembered waking up with before her brother died.

She was so preoccupied that she didn't see the chimera rushing at her until Roy set it aflame. "Lieutenant, what's wrong? Now isn't the time to be daydreaming."

"It's nothing," Kat said before using the alchemy to ice the floor beneath the chimeras causing them to slip and fall over each other.

Armstrong took that opportunity to grab one of the chimeras by its tail and throw it across the room ending the fight. "Well that was pleasant," Roy commented as he stood up and glanced around the room. "Is everyone alright?" he asked the group.

"I'm alright," Hawkeye and Armstrong both replied.

Then Roy turned to Kat. "What happened? You just suddenly froze."

"I just suddenly had this terrible feeling," Kat told him, unable to explain exactly what it was.

Suddenly Fury, Havok, Breda, Fulman, and Elly rushed in. "Is everyone alright?" Fury asked.

"More or less," Roy replied. "Have Archer's troops already moved out?"

"Well they did," Fury started hesitantly.

"Yeah but then this bright light appeared and Lior suddenly vanished," Breda finished excitedly.

"What do you mean vanished?" Roy asked stunned.

"He means one second it's there and the next it's gone," Fulman explained. Elly was staring at the ground afraid to make eye contact with anyone and Havoc had a firm grip on her wrist.

Roy made a sort of growling noise before saying, "Let's go. We can't get anything done just sitting down here." The rest of the morning was spent with soldiers boarding the train and loading on Archer who was nearly cut in half.

Kat and Elly listened to the report. Her heart gave a twinge of pain when she heard that Kimbley was killed by Scar prior to the explosion and that the whole thing had been planned, but was happy to hear that both Elric brothers made it out alright. And then Fulman appeared with Fuhrer Bradly and Roy informed him of the casualties that they suffered.

"I want you to find the one who's responsible for this," Bradly told Mustang.

"Scar, of course sir," Mustang replied with a salute.

"No Mustang, I mean Full Metal," Bradley corrected.

Elly's head shot up at hearing the Fuhrer blame the Elrics for this catastrophe. "Why are you accusing the Elrics? It's pretty obvious that Scar was responsible for this," Elly said angrily.

"If that is true then why did the Elric brothers come to Lior in the first place?" Bradley asked glaring at her.

"They were looking for Scar sir," Mustang responded.

"Were they ordered to do so?"

"They had orders to conduct special alchemy research."

"So these two boys were acting of their own accord, run into a murderer and suddenly many soldiers lose their lives. Now they've gone missing."

"Just because they left doesn't mean they didn't have a good reason for not coming back after the attack," Elly argued.

"And we don't even know what happened in that city. Shouldn't we hear their story first?" Kat asked.

"I agree Fuhrer," Mustang said. "We should give them a chance to explain their actions."

"An interrogation Mustang?" Bradly asked. "Very well, but if those boys escape it will be your neck Mustang. Armstrong shall be accompanying you. I've heard some disturbing stories and it's possible these boys are in league with creatures called Homonculi. Capture them, and if they don't come peacefully take them out by force." And he walked away leaving the group rather stunned.

"So what now?" Havok asked.

"You heard the man, I want a full report of where the Elric brothers were during the time of the explosion," Roy said before walking away.

Kat stared after him for a moment before following him. "Colonel… is this really the right thing to do? I mean I know its duty but… I honestly don't think the Elric brothers are responsible for any of this."

"I don't either but if they keep running then they'll get more than themselves in trouble," Roy muttered. Then turning to Kat, "You runaway quite often…where do you think they ran off to?"

Kat wasn't sure what to make of that comment but she thought for a moment. "Hmm, if I know them, they'd go to the countryside, a place where the military's influence is at its minimum. Some place with people whom they know they could trust."

Roy contemplated this. "You think they would return home?"

Kat answered his question with one of her own. "Where else do they have to go?"

"Right," Roy said thinking.

"Are the Elric brothers really responsible for this?" Breda asked.

"No way, they would never kill anyone especially not for their own purposes," Elly retorted angrily.

"It is rather suspicious, them running away like that," Fulman replied.

"Yeah I know it is but…." Elly started trying to decide whether or not to tell what she knew.

"And if we don't find them, the Colonel gets punished," he finished.

"But are we really suppose to kill them?" Breda said voicing everyone's worries.

Armstrong approached Mustang and Kat. "Should we get started, Colonel?"

"Yes," Roy said after a moment of silence.

"They probably wouldn't take the main road," Kat noted.

"You're right, Havok I want you Elly and Fury to follow them on foot. With Elly's abilities it should be pretty easy to follow their path through the desert. The rest of us will head toward Risenboel via train. We'll meet you there by tomorrow," Roy said.

Havok and Elly both saluted before heading off into the desert with Fury close behind. "Maybe we should grab a car," Havok mentioned as they reached a rather heated point.

"No good, if we had a vehicle they'd see the dust from several miles away and know that we're coming," Elly replied having no trouble with the heat at all.

* * *

Kat waved them off before going with her group. "It seems that I have a hard time earning people's trust," Roy said moodily to Kat once they were on the train.

She looked at him curiously. "What do you mean by that, Colonel?"

"You always run off without telling me where it is you're going, not even bothering asking me for help," Roy remarked, staring out the window. "Now they're doing the same thing."

Kat couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt upon hearing this, but she cleared her throat and answered. "I'm sure they have their reasons, Colonel."

"There is no reason to keep me in the dark when you need help," Roy scolded.

"Sometimes asking for help is the hardest thing you can do," Kat replied with a sad smile. "And who knows? They probably knew something like this would happen. That's why they ran."

"You know something, Lieutenant," Roy said darkly.

"Forgive me sir, but I'm not supposed to say…"

"Lieutenant Kathleen if there is something that we do not know then it would be most helpful if you reported it," Roy replied staring her down.

Kat closed her eyes for a moment. She had promised Al she wouldn't say anything, and yet her Colonel was giving her a direct order. She decided the only thing to do was to work around the situation. "It's just… I think I know why they no longer trust the military and why they would run."

"And why would that be?" Roy prompted.

Kat looked away. "I'm not sure if you'd believe me."

"Try me," Roy said giving her an encouraging grin.

* * *

"How much further is it to Risenbool?" Fury complained.

"We've still got quite a ways to go," Elly told him. "I know the desert can be very large and foreboding but bare with it okay. At least you aren't wandering through this place alone…that can drive a person mad."

"Hey, I have no complaints," Havok said with a small smile as he lit up a cigarette.

Fury looked at him with something much like a you aren't me type of look. "You do know where you are going right?" Fury asked feeling a bit hot and sweaty.

"Yep, I've been listening to those two talk and argue the whole trip…kind of gets annoying but it comes in handy when trying to not get lost," Elly answered. "Are you okay Fury you look tired?"

"No I'm fine, really," Fury answered wiping his brow.

Elly rolled her eyes but stopped and in a few minutes had a well of water for them to rest at. "There feel better?" Elly asked after they had rested for several minutes.

"Yeah thanks…you really didn't have to do that though," Fury answered feeling embarrassed.

"How am I supposed to explain to the Colonel what happened to you if you end up getting dehydrated…or worse," Elly commented leaning against the well.

"I don't think I'm going to make it," Fury said holding his chest.

"Get a hold of yourself," Havok said knocking him on the head. "It's getting late and we might have to camp out here before we reach forested area. It wouldn't be wise trying to travel by night."

"Camp," Fury asked nervously. "Out here?"

"Sure, why not?" Havok said with a shrug and a smile. "The only things we have to worry about are snakes, scorpions…."

"I'm going to die out here," Fury said despairingly.

"Give it a rest Havok we don't need Fury freaking out here," Elly said shaking her head. Then turning to Fury, "Don't worry about anything that Havok said okay…as long as I'm here there won't be anything to worry about." She stood up and got the group going again after putting the well back to how it was before. Before long the forest tops started to come into view and the sun set behind them. "We'll camp here for tonight so I'll clear out an area and the two of you can set up the tent," Elly said with a smile.

"Roger," they said together. Once Elly had the area cleared Havoc and Fury set up the tent and the sleeping bags. They held off building a fire since they didn't want to alert the Elric brothers of their presence, so Havoc lit the lamp instead.

"It's so still out here at night," Fury commented.

"Yep, no doubt many people have died wandering through this place," Havoc said in a hushed voice. "And now their souls are doomed to wander across the desert for all eternity, seeking for poor innocent people to come join them."

Fury started to shake and glanced around nervously. "You don't think they'll come here…do you?" he asked timidly.

"Well if they do, they always go for the ones who show the most fear," Havok replied with an evil grin. This sent Fury off as he tried to calm himself down but shivered more than ever until he passed out from sheer fright.

Elly rolled her eyes and gave a reproving look at Havoc. "You really shouldn't tease him like that, you'll end up giving him a heart attack one of these days," she said moving Fury into a less painful position on the ground.

"Hey, I was just trying to lighten the mood a little," Havoc replied jovially, lighting up a cigarette. "Besides, he needs a little fright every once in a while. That way in time maybe he'll build up immunity."

"Build up an immunity, to fright? Considering who you're talking about I doubt he'll ever get over being afraid. The mark of a true brave soul, though is to face the fears that you do have, not get rid of them entirely. I mean everyone is afraid of something," Elly told him lying down and staring up at the stars.

"You have a point there," Havok said with a smile as he leaned back against his backpack. "Heck, there are times when even I get a scared. Like earlier."

Elly sat up and raised her eyebrow, "You got scared earlier? Why's that?"

"When you were about to jump out of that window," Havoc told her. "Right when Lior disappeared. You looked so upset I was afraid you were going to do something crazy and hurt yourself."

"I was upset, but I wasn't about to hurt myself. Jumping out the window wouldn't have hurt me, I was going to use my wind to float down easily," Elly explained crossing her legs.

"Well geez, how am I supposed to know that?" Havok sighed. "And you look like you had just lost your best friend."

"Well in a way I did," Elly replied staring up at the stars again. Havoc watched her for several seconds after that trying to decipher what she was thinking about by her facial expressions alone.

"Someone you knew was in Lior?" He asked finally.

A sad smile appeared on her lips as she continued to stare at the stars. "Yeah…it was my brother. He called out to me just before the light appeared," Elly explained closing her eyes.

Havok stared at her for a moment, folding his arms in front of him. "I'm sorry about your loss. But that's strange. I don't remember you ever saying you had a brother. I thought you said your family died."

"They did, all except one at least. The younger of my older brothers survived….until now. However, the last time I saw him I noticed that the brother I once knew was gone," Elly explained pulling her knees up to her face.

"What do you mean?" Havok asked raising an eyebrow.

Elly took a deep breath before continuing. "You remember Scar right?" she asked.

"Yeah he was the one who killing state alchemists," Havoc answered.

"Well you see….Scar was my brother."

Havoc's cigarette fell out of his mouth which now seemed to have lost its ability to form words. He stared at her, making sure that she wasn't joking before saying, "Wow, you're completely serious aren't you?"

"Why would I joke about my own family?" Elly asked. "Obviously it's not something I want everyone to know but I figured I should at least explain it once. During the war he was the only one I could turn to for help and he protected me my whole life with his own."

"I see…" Havoc said mulling it over in his mind. "Heh, I guess now that you mention it. I can kind of see the resemblance." At Elly's questioning glance he went on. "You both are stubborn as heck, and you don't let anything get in your way."

Elly let out a small laugh, "Yeah I guess you're right about that. We are pretty stubborn aren't we? It's strange…I haven't seen him in such a long time but it still really hurts to know that I'll never see him again." She shook her head and then put on a big smile, "Sorry about this, me just rambling on. I'm not the only one that lost somebody out there and I'm sitting here acting like I am. Heh, I'm so stupid sometimes."

"There's nothing stupid about missing someone you lost," Havoc told her firmly. "We all need a mourning period when we lose someone. So if you feel like crying, just know my shoulder is always open."

"When I actually end up crying I'll let you know," Elly said sarcastically. "I'm really tired right now though so I'm going to sleep," she added getting up and going into the tent.

"Sweet dreams, Elly," Havoc said. Then when she was out of earshot he murmured, "And thanks for trusting me."

* * *

"Wow, I've never been out here before," Kat commented looking around the forested area of Rizenbul. "It's really peaceful out here."

"Just keep in mind this isn't a hiking trip," Roy reminded.

"I know that."

"I wonder what's taking Havoc's group so long?" Breda wondered out loud. "Weren't they supposed to meet us here?"

"Don't forget they are traveling on foot," Hawkeye reminded him.

"Oh yeah."

"There's no need to worry they'll be here in a flash," Fulman said.

"Of course, they are very strong and nothing will keep them from their goal," Armstrong said flexing his muscles.

"In the meantime, you think you could see if the Elric's are close by?" Roy asked Kat.

"I'll give it a shot," Kat said. She knelt down and drew a complex circle into the dirt before placing her hands over it and it began to glow softly. She stayed there for a couple minutes with her eyes closed, meditating. "There's three people headed this direction. I'm thinking it could be Fury, Havok, and Elly. Wait… there's one more." The glowing stopped and she stood up. "I think they're traveling along side the river not far from here."

"Wow how does she do that?" Breda asked scratching his head.

"Well you see, Kat is able to use her water alchemy to scan a specific area around a body of water," Fulman explained. "And since the human body is made up of roughly eighty percent water, she can locate a person close by."

"Oh…I guess that makes sense," Breda exclaimed.

"OY, great to see you guys," a voice called out from a rock in front of them.

"Did you guys see them yet?" Elly asked from atop her perch.

"No, but Lieutenant Kathleen believes the brothers are traveling along the river," Roy informed them. "Havoc, take your team and search the area around the river. Breda and Fulman, search along the river itself. Report back if you find anything."

"You got it Colonel," Havoc replied leading the way back into the forest.

"At least this job beats walking through the desert," Fury commented.

"Well ghosts enjoy forested areas as well," Havoc said softly.

Fury jumped at his statement and Elly just about hit Havoc over the head. Then they saw the tale tell signs of alchemy being performed and creeped up on the spot. As they reached it they saw Edward crouching behind a tree with Al nowhere in sight.

"If the Colonel goes down because of this then so be it," Ed muttered.

Havoc drew his gun and aimed it at Ed clicking the bullet into place as he went. "If you really feel that way then maybe you should take it up with him," Havoc said getting Ed's attention.

"H-Hi Ed," Fury stuttered.

"You really know how to tick people off Ed," Elly added shaking her head.

"Look, no hard feelings right?" Havoc said with a smile.

"I'm not coming," Ed declared.

"Ed… please," Fury implored.

"I'm not a military dog anymore," Ed growled. Suddenly he rushed forward and grabbed Havoc's gun. "Go ahead, shoot. When that bullet ricochets off my hand who do you think gets hurt?"

"That's enough Ed we aren't here to bring you guys in, we're only here to talk and find out why the heck you ran off in the first place," Elly said angrily. "Now let go of that gun or you'll find out what an alchemist who isn't with the state can do."

"Go ahead, shoot!" Ed shouted.

"Stop it!" A voice cried out and suddenly Al appeared out of nowhere startling Havok so badly he accidentally pulled the trigger.

Kat froze when she heard a gun shot. "That came from the direction of the river."

Elly's eyes widened as Havoc and Fury both pulled back from the blast. "HAVOC, FURY are you two okay?" Elly asked going to both of their sides.

"Yeah I'm okay it missed my eye," Fury said with a small smile.

"I'm fine too. It just grazed my hand," Havoc said with a smirk. "Just make sure you don't lose those two."

Elly nodded and ran off after Ed and Al, "You two sure picked the wrong person to tick off."

"Brother, is this really right?" Al asked him.

"We can't let them catch us, Al," Edward told his brother. "Especially not Mustang."

"Why can't you let Mustang know that you have the stone?" Elly asked popping out of nowhere.

"How did you know we had the stone?" Ed asked angrily.

"I didn't…I do now though," Elly said laughing. "You really shouldn't have done that to Havoc and Fury though, you'll only make the Colonel mad."

"Grr…you can't stop us. I won't be used by the army," Ed said.

"Who said you would be? Why not just stop running and let us help you already," Elly asked.

"Forget it," Ed shouted taking a shot at Elly.

"Fine," Elly said activating one of her alchemical symbols to created a weapon out of the air itself. "I warned you." She went to attack Ed when Al grabbed her wrist and threw her into the river, then he and Ed continued to run.

* * *

Kat watched as Roy finished bandaging Havoc's arm. "Sorry, but this is the best we can do for now."

"Don't worry about it," Havoc said with a chuckle. "Thanks to your little cold spell I can hardly feel it at all."

"I wonder if the Elric's will insist on fighting us to the end on this," Riza wondered allowed.

"We'll know once we reach the end," Roy stated.

"I just hope it doesn't come to that," Kat said worriedly.

"Hey Colonel could you get my cigarettes out?" Havoc asked with a weak smile.

Roy reached into Havoc's pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes along with something else. "Get well soon Havoc," he said putting the packets into his own pocket. Havoc's face fell as he saw this and he just about cried.

Suddenly there was a scream as a machine came flying out of the brush with Sheska and Winrey both riding it. Havoc's face turned blue and Hawkeye pulled out a pistol shooting at one of the hinges which stopped it in its tracks.

"What in the world are you two doing here?" Kat asked the pair.

"I have a feeling I know," Roy said with a frown. "Bring them along."

"Sorry about this guys," Kat said apologetically as she tied both the girls hands.

"Tell us the truth girls," Hawkeye spoke to them as they walked through the forest. "Who tipped you off about the Elirc brothers?"

"That's none of your business," Sheska said.

"Don't talk to us about truth, how could you believe that Ed and Al are traitors?" Winrey asked.

"The Colonel only really cares about those bars and stripes on his uniform," Sheska whispered.

"Tell me, is this the kind of devotion you showed when you killed my parents?" Winrey asked angrily.

Kat joined Hawkeye in stepping between the two girls and the Colonel. "Don't talk like you know everything," Kat whispered in a low voice of warning. "And do remember that you have the right to remain silent."

Winrey and Sheska both shut their mouths after that and didn't open them again for sometime. Then just as they reached the river they saw Elly dragging herself onto the shore and trying to dry herself out. "Oh hey guys, nice to see you. Wow I didn't expect to see you here Sheska, Winrey. Did you come here to see Ed and Al too?" Elly asked standing back on the rocks.

"Did you enjoy your swim Elly?" Armstrong asked from the side.

"Not really considering the fact that Al threw me into the water and ran off in that direction with Ed," Elly said pointing down the river bank.

"Onward men!" Armstrong shouted to his soldiers. When they finally had the two in their sights, Armstrong sent a shower of rock spears which the two dodged. The group of Armstrong's soldiers tried rushing them but Ed used his Alchemy to create a huge boulder which the two ran on top of. The soldiers were doing all they could to get out of the way.

Then Roy stepped forward and with a snap of his fingers, the boulder exploded and the two boys landed in with the rubble. "You know, running makes you look guilty," Roy said to Ed.

"Because we knew you'd come after us. Isn't that what a dog does when it's chased?" Ed shot back.

"Yes, but a trained dog follows its master's orders."

"Then I guess I'm a stray."

"Then maybe we'll have to put you down."

"Ed!" Kat shouted interrupting their verbal dual. "We're not trying to hurt either of you. Please trust us. We're your friends, remember?"

"I don't care I'm not going back to that place," Ed declared. "You'll just have to kill me first." With that he caused a large splash in the river soaking Roy's glove, "Try making sparks now Colonel." Roy turned to Armstrong who created a large hollow spike and Roy heated the air inside until it exploded into a hundred flying spikes. Al deflected the blow but that was followed by another attack from Roy which trapped Ed and Al keeping them from running any further.

Roy stepped forward until Winry screamed, "STOP!" and Roy halted in front of the two boys. "Please, just stop," Winry sobbed, sinking to her knees.

"Winry," Ed whispered.

"Years ago, I shot a couple of doctors in Ishbal," Roy said out loud for all to hear. "I received the order in the morning and shot them that night. Afterwards I tried to kill myself but was too much of a coward, so I took an oath instead. I vowed that I would never follow an unjustified command, and reach a position where I didn't have to." Kat smiled proudly at hearing this and listened as he continued on. "I'm not chasing you because I was ordered to. I'm doing it because I'm pissed. NOW WHY THE HELL DID YOU TWO RUN OFF WITHOUT ASKING FOR MY HELP FIRST?" He demanded.

Elly smirked at his comment realizing why he was really ticked off. "Tell us boys please what happened?" Armstrong asked.

"King Bradley is a Homunculus," Al told them bluntly. Everyone gasped and Elly distinctly remembered the feeling she got the last time she saw him.

"When you say Homunculi, you mean artificial human right?" Fulman asked confused.

"How can you be sure that King Bradley is a homunculus? He didn't have any idea about what was going on in Laboratory 5," Armstrong stepped in.

"His secretary is a homunculus as well," Ed added making it even more complicated.

"He had the mark of the oraboris," Al piped up.

"I see, so this would explain why the military is always at war with people," Kat said solemnly.

"But what is it that they hope to gain?" Hawkeye wondered. Suddenly the other soldiers appeared.

"Do you want me to have them return to Lior?" Armstrong asked Roy. "I could supply false information."

"Do it," Roy said.

"You're going to Rizenbul?" Armstrong asked.

Roy nodded. "Yay, I've been hoping for a field trip," Kat stated happily.

Armstrong left to keep his men away from the others as they continued their conversation. The rest continued through the forest back to Rizenbul. "Hey, how are Fury and Havoc?" Elly asked remembering their wounds.

"They were sent back to Central to receive treatment," Breda explained. Elly smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

"So I guess you really meant what you said about retiring from the military after all. Considering the fact that you took off your pocket watch," Hawkeye said to Ed.

"I didn't take it off, Archer took it from me and I never got it back," Ed told her.

"That's strange…so Al never returned it to you?"

"Um…I'm sorry brother," Al said sadly.

"You lost it?" he asked angrily.

"No you see Kimbly threw it at Scar and then all the red stones fell out and went into Scar's arm," Al explained hastily.

"Why were there red stones in my pocket watch?" Ed asked.

"It was Archer's method," Roy spoke up. "We were ordered to do the same in Ishbal."

Ed grabbed him by the front of the shirt. "You knew about all of this and still you had me search for that damn thing?"

"That's enough," Roy said.

"Brother, stop!" Al shouted and tried to intervein. Then a flash occurred and Al landed in the river.

"AL!" Ed shouted.

"I'm right here brother," Al said leaping out of the water like a dolphin.

'Incredible,' Kat said. 'That flash… it couldn't be, could it. Could Al really be…'

"Well I'll be, that's where the stone ended up. I guess that explains why they couldn't just hide the stone and had to flee for it. So brother managed to turn Al into the stone…I wonder how he managed to do that," Elly thought to herself as Al flew out of the water like a dolphin and landed back in with an enormous splash.

"Look brother I can swim," Al said happily. Not two seconds later he sank like a stone and Ed had to fish him out.

After they had Al all dried, Elly noticed that he had sparkles around his head just like the Major and was extremely happy that nobody was commenting on it. "I thought the blood seal would just wash off if it ever got wet," Roy said raising an eyebrow.

"I guess we don't have to worry about that anymore. It's probably because of the Philosopher's Stone," Al said taking off his head and allowing this bright pink light to leak from it.

Nobody seemed to notice the light except for Kat and Elly because they were watching Ed flailing his arms around like a chicken being chased. "What do you mean by that," Hawkeye asked as Al put his head back on.

"Nothing, just an inside joke," Ed assured. He jumped up and began marching off. "Come on, let's go."

"He's a terrible liar," Kat murmured shaking her head.

Elly followed the group with her hands behind her head smiling at the thought that she knew what they were hiding and few, if any, of them knew as well. They reached the edge of the forest just as Sergeant Block came walking down the road. "Wow he kind of reminds me of Havoc," Elly said watching him. Then at the reproving look she got from Kat she said, "What? He does. Just watch…I'll bet almost anything that he got dumped."

Winrey walked out of the brush to talk to him, "What's going on Block?"

"Lieutenant Ross…Lieutenant Ross," Block blubbered.

"Did something happen to her?" Kat asked him kindheartedly.

He nodded and continued to weep. "Come look." And he staggered off. The group followed him until they stopped behind a stone wall close by Pinako's house. Lt. Ross was sitting with a blonde gentleman and appearing to have a good time. "See? She's falling for him hook line and sinker," Block moaned chewing on his shirt.

"Don't we have bigger things to worry about?" Winry asked skeptically.

"Bigger than love?" Roy said.

"Somehow I can sympathize with him," Kat remarked.

"I knew he got dumped," Elly snickered. "Don't worry Block it's not like he's a young man who's easy on the eyes and has long luscious hair…" she told him causing him to cry out all the more in anguish.

"That guy looks familiar doesn't he brother," Al said glancing down to where Ed was two seconds ago.

They all glanced back up in time to see Ed running toward the stranger and punching him across the face sending him flying. "Your gone for over 10 years and I come home to that? Dang it old man," Ed shouted over the railing.

"Wow so I take it Ed knows that guy," Elly said laughing at the unusual outcome.

"Hmm," Kat said rubbing her chin. "I think I'm starting to see the resemblance."

"Dad!" Al shouted before running towards him. There was an exchange of words before Ed hit his father again.

"Ouch," Kat winced in sympathy.

Eventually the group was invited in and Ross was trying to convince them all that she and Ed's father were just having a pleasant conversation. When Winry pointed out that she looked to be having a very good time, she blushed and said it was because of his cologne and that no man in the military she knew wore it.

"That's because the men you know don't want to smell like flowery sissy boys," Block moped.

"What's your problem?" Ross asked him.

"I have to agree with Lt. Ross," Kat said taking a sip of coffee. "There's just something about a man's cologne that defines him."

"Tch, yeah like Colonel Mustang's right?" Elly whispered to Kat. Her face turned red but was spared answering by Ed saying that he hated his father's smell.

He explained about how he had smelled the same thing in Lior when he saw Liera. The conversation went on to Winrey getting mad at them for leaving her out of the loop until eventually everyone fell asleep. As soon as she was sure that the group was asleep she headed out the door toward the train station hoping to be there when the first train of the morning arrived.

"So you're heading back, huh?" Kat's voice called from above. Elly looked up in time to see Kat leap down from a tree branch. "You know, we're probably going to head back eventually. You could just stick around."

"I know but I talked with the Colonel earlier and he said that he wanted me to go back as soon as possible to keep an eye on Havoc and Fury. You know just in case Ed and Al were right," Elly explained. "Besides seeing them together like that reminds me too much about what I just lost and I really don't want to deal with that right now."

"I had a feeling it was something like that," Kat said with a soft smile. "Be sure to give Havoc a big hug once you get there, alright. And maybe even a kiss or two."

Elly smacked her upside the head for that one. "Come on Kat you know Havoc is like an older brother to me. Besides I'm visiting Fury as well, or did you forget that he got hurt too?"

"Of course I didn't," Kat said with a smile. "Give him a hug for me too. But just don't forget, Elly. Feelings can change. Trust me… I know."

Elly raised an eyebrow but waved goodbye all the same and left for the railroad station. "Oh Kat make sure to take care of the Colonel okay," she said with a wink and then sprinted the rest of the way to keep Kat from retaliating.

"I will if you play nurse with Havok!" Kat shouted after her before walking back to the house.

The moment Kat entered the house a huge wind rattled the whole place making it shake and creek with the force of the winds. "I wouldn't play nurse with anyone, not even if their life depended on it," Elly steamed as her alchemical wind rushed toward the house.

"Touchy, touchy," Kat said with a small laugh as she went out to the porch where she found Roy and Hoenheim talking.

"Well, well, you're up awfully late," Roy commented. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"That's alright," Hoenheim said with a wave of his hand. "The more the merrier as they say. Won't you come join us, Miss Kathleen, isn't it?"

"Thank you," Kat said with a polite bow of her head before sitting down with them. "And you can call me Kat."

"Alright then Kat," Hoenheim answered with a smile.

"Listen Hoenheim, the Fuhrer has been accused of treason and so have your children. But what I'm more interested about is the pictures I've seen," Roy told him.

"In order for homunculi to maintain a human form they have to be fed a sufficient energy supply, like the shards of the stone," Hoenheim said darkly.

"You mean they have to feed off human lives?" Roy asked aghast.

Hoenheim nodded. "They may start out like innocent children but their desires and powers corrupt them. You can't trust anyone who lives that long. It's important that you both remember that fact."

"We'll keep that in mind," Roy told him. "So all the stones being made in Lab 5… those were just to help them preserve their lives?"

"You say you found red stones in this lab," Hoenheim said whilst stirring his wine. "Homunculi are unable to perform alchemy yet how can they teach it? And what reason would they have for it?"

"There's someone else behind it, controlling their actions," Roy deduced. Kat could only imagine what being would be fearsome enough to control the homunculi.

"Oh well, even if there was someone this country is still as great as it ever was. I assume the army is still as honest and trustworthy as ever," Hoenheim said yawning.

"Dad, why can't homunculi use alchemy?" Al asked walking through the door.

"Because they come from the other side of the gate. But enough talk about that tell me about your mother, yourself and Ed. What have you been doing since I've been away? I'm looking at your body but…" Hoenheim began.

"There's not much to tell. We performed a transmutation, I lost my arm and leg and Al lost his body simple as that," Ed said vindictively.

"Ed alchemy is…" Hoenheim tried to explain.

"Shut up. You don't have the right to show up here and act like a father, not after we watched Mom die alone," Ed shouted running back into the house and trying to drag Al with him.

"No, brother," Al said putting his foot down. "I'm staying with him. Come on, dad. Let's go."

"It was a pleasure Miss Kathleen, and you also Mr. Mustang." Hoenheim said with smile before leaving with his younger son. Ed watched them leave before storming back into the house.

"I don't understand Ed's way of thinking sometimes," Kat said with a sigh. "I'd give anything to know my father."

"You've never met your father?" Roy asked dubiously.

"Oh, my brother never told you I guess… he probably didn't see it as all that important but, I'm only his half sister. We shared the same mother, but different fathers. And I never knew mine."

"Why didn't you know your father? I assumed that you would have met him at one point or another," Roy said sitting down in Hoenheim's now vacated chair.

"According to my mother, he never wanted me to be born," Kat said with a sad smile. "Even knowing that, I wouldn't mind meeting him just to see what he was like. Then maybe if he saw me the way I am now, he might change his mind."

"If he saw you now and didn't like you then I'd say he doesn't deserve you as a daughter," Roy said mater of factly. "It's getting late and we have no way of knowing when the investigation team will be arriving so I suggest you get some sleep."

"I'm really not all that tired," Kat said looking almost serious. "Especially not after hearing that. But you seemed more troubled about that than I am, sir."

"How can I not be?" Roy said with a mirthless smile. "To learn that possibly everything I've done was for reasons that were nothing but lies, it sickens me."

"Colonel…" Kat murmured.

"To top it off, it sounds like I murdered many of Elly's people because a homunculus gave the order…and for what reason, to create the philosophers stone," Roy said angrily. "Now it seems I've sent her back to the lion's den. I needed someone to look after Havoc and Fury until we returned and she seemed like the perfect candidate but now that I think about it I might have just sent her to her death."

"Stop it," Kat exclaimed standing up. "You're not a bad person, Colonel. You had no idea about the Fuhrer or this twisted plot to create the stone. You were a soldier following orders in order to restore peace. And you and I both know that Elly won't let herself be taken by those monsters. So stop blaming yourself because I won't let you do it anymore. What's done is done, so stop living in the past and move forward. You don't have to be alone. I'll help you every step of the way." Roy didn't respond for several moments but merely stared at her with such an expression that Kat blushed with humility (thank goodness it was dark) and she sat back down with her head bowed. "Forgive me, Colonel. I was out of line."

"No you're right, living in the past isn't going to help anyone and it certainly won't end this thing," Roy replied. "I'm going to need your help in this along with Elly's and everyone else's. I just pray that this all ends soon enough." With that he stood up and bid goodnight to Kat before going to bed himself.

The next morning they all left the brothers and headed back to Central. Once they arrived, Roy turned to Kat. "I'm going to request a conference with the Furher. For now, I want you to go to the medical wing where Havoc should be. In fact, I want everyone there."

"It shall be done," Kat said with a nod.

* * *

CM: Okay, so remember how Conquerer of Shamballa ended? Well, I was ticked at the ending, so my room mate and I decided to write a continuation of that. So there's something to look forward to if you're interested. Thanks for reading and please review if you can.


	20. Coming to Terms

**Coming to Terms**

"Come on I've got to get up and stretch my legs," Havoc's voice came floating out of the room to Kat's ears.

"Forget it the nurse said you have to stay in bed until you are fully healed so until then sit down and pipe down," Elly scolded.

"Um…what about me?" Fury asked timidly.

"Same goes for you….I don't want to see either one of you out of your bed until the nurse says it's alright."

"Aw, now isn't this a cute scene?" Kat said popping into the room.

"Hello, Lt. Kathleen," Fury said with a smile.

"Wow Elly, I didn't think you'd take my words to heart. So tell me guys, does she spoon feed you too?"

"I wish," Havoc muttered.

If looks could kill then Kat would have died on the spot with the look that Elly gave her. "I've just been going about my duty of being in here just in case something happened okay. I'm not here to make sure they get their nourishment that's the nurse and doctor's job," Elly said angrily. Just then the nurse walked in making Havoc's jaw drop, and she gave Fury the good news that he was free to leave. "Great job Fury now you can rejoin the troops," Elly said giving him a smile and a thumbs up.

"What about me?" Havoc asked.

"Sorry, Mr. Havoc. But you won't be able to do anything with that arm. But don't worry, I'll make sure you're taken care of."

Elly laughed at the look on his face, "See I told you the nurse would be taking good care of him." She stood up afterwards and walked to the door, "I need a bit of a break…I've been in there all morning with that clown but I'll be back later okay."

Kat shook her head and sighed. Fury went and got dressed into his military uniform and Kat waited around until Fulman and Breda showed up. "So what's the word?" Kat asked them wanting to know if Roy was alright or not and if the council bought his story.

"Everything seems to be okay, he hasn't been fired yet at least," Breda answered.

"Other than that we really haven't heard anything else," Fulman added with a frown.

"By the way where did Elly run off to? I thought she was keeping an eye on Havoc," Breda asked looking around.

"She needed some air," Kat replied looking over at Havoc who was still flirting with the nurse.

A few minutes later Roy came in. "Oh, Colonel Mustang," the nurse said with a small giggle.

"Hello miss," Roy said with a flattering smile. "I need to have a word with my men. Would you mind?"

"Not at all," she said with a giggle. Havok's jaw dropped and he looked as if he was going to cry as the nurse left.

Kat let out a mushroom sigh. "I suppose I should be used to it by now."

"At any rate sir, we heard that you made a powerful enemy in there…what did you go and do that for?" Breda asked giving him a disapproving look.

"I wasn't sure if the Fuhrer was indeed a homunculus or not so I decided to try to find out about his secretary instead," Roy answered. "For a long time these homunculi have been sacrificing human lives for the philosopher's stone, even going so far as to start wars."

"It is odd," Fulman said. "Ever since King Bradly the state has constantly been at war."

"Yeah you're right, I never noticed that," Breda stated.

"I'm a soldier, I don't mind war," Roy said. "But what if the reasons have all been lies, and really it was all just to create enough death to provide both ingredients and motivation for the stone?" Everyone was shocked by this statement.

Then Armstrong came in, breaking the tense silence. "Colonel, I have been given the task of informing you that we are being sent up north tomorrow."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Roy said with a small smile as he went to leave with Armstrong. "All of you be sure to get a good night's rest."

"Yes Sir," the men answered with a salute while Havoc remained in his stunned state.

A few minutes after the Colonel left, Elly entered carrying a large mug of a dark steaming liquid. "Um…I just saw the Colonel and Armstrong walking down the hall talking in whispered voices…what's going on?" she asked sitting back down in her seat.

"Apparently we're being deployed to the north to go after the Elric brothers," Fulman answered.

"I'm assuming that's not the only reason we'd be sent there is it," Elly replied with a raised eyebrow.

"We're probably being sent to make war again," Kat said solemnly. "But it's rather funny, don't you think?"

"How so?" Fury asked.

"Think about it, everyone who has ever been involved with the Elric brothers or the stone are being sent into war. Something tells me that this is just an excuse in order to tie up lose ends. After all, people die all the time on the battlefield."

"That's very true," Elly muttered darkly. "If that's true then I wonder how they plan to get rid of me…after all it's not like they can send me off to war and call it a noble death."

"I don't think you'll have anything to worry about. They can't send Havoc out either on account of his hand so you'll have a liable excuse for sticking around," Breda said trying to cheer her up.

"Thanks but I seriously doubt that will be so easy," Elly said rolling her eyes. "Hey Kat, any ideas? I'm all used up at this point."

"All we can do is trust the Colonel," Kat told them all. "He's a smart guy. He'll know what to do. For now though, let's all be on our guards." She then let out a yawn.

"I guess it is getting late…I'm going to turn in now so I'll see you guys in the morning," Elly said standing up having finished her drink.

"I am too…mind if I join you? It'll be a lot safer around here if we keep together," Breda said running forward.

"Forget it Breda…you're going in the opposite direction so there's no reason to walk me to my room. You coming Kat?" she added turning to her friend.

"Sure thing," Kat said following her friend out.

* * *

They got back to their room and Kat was just getting dressed for bed when suddenly a piece of paper was slid underneath the door. "Huh? What's this?" She picked it up and read it.

"Meet me at the park at midnight. I have something important to tell you. –Roy"

Elly glanced up at Kat who was frozen in her spot next to the door. She raised an eyebrow and opened the door glancing around to see if she could spot whoever left it but no one was there. "So who's it from?" she asked closing the door.

Kat pocketed it with a quick laugh. "Um, I'd rather not tell you at the moment." 'Strange though,' Kat thought glancing outside the window. It was still cloudy, so the stars and the moon would not be visible tonight. 'I wonder what he could possibly want.' She smiled sadly. "I have to go take care of something important. Could you cover for me until I get back?"

"Alright but if you aren't back within a few hours I'm coming to find you," Elly said with a small laugh. "Whatever it is you are doing make sure that you keep yourself safe, okay?"

Kat pulled on the coat the Roy gave her before turning to her friend and smiling. "Don't worry. I intend to." She left Central building and traveled to the park on foot. It was a calm night, and it was quite dark aside from the dim lamplight. She made it to the park and when she saw that no one was around she sat down on the bench and waited. She checked her watch. It was almost midnight and her heart hammered with anticipation.

Suddenly there was a rustling of bushes and Roy Mustang stepped out of the brush with a coy smile on his lips. "I'm glad you could make it, Lieutenant. I was wondering if Elly would just let you go or not. I guess I understand now how easily you've been able to slip away," Roy said coming and sitting down next to her.

"Good evening, Colonel," Kat said with a small salute.

"There's no need for formalities, Kat," Roy said with a seductive grin that she saw him use oh so many times with other women. "Just call me Roy."

Kat was startled by how much that smile of his impacted her. "Sir, you said you needed to tell me something important."

"Yes I do," he said placing a hand on her shoulder. "I've wanted to tell you this for some time now but never found the right moment. I figure this might be the last chance I have if things don't go according to plan tomorrow." He stared deep into her eyes using every charm he had to make her melt. "I love you, Kathleen and always will," he whispered into her ears.

Kat's eyes widened. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to hear that," Kat said placing a hand over the one on her shoulder. There was a flash and suddenly Roy's entire arm was encased in ice. "But not from you," Kat said coldly before breaking the arm off.

Roy screamed in agony before another flash of light occurred and in his place stood Envy. "You %$#, you should have just left things the way they were then you wouldn't have to go through this like your brother did. Now I'm going to kill you for removing my arm." He transformed back into Roy and pulled a gun from his pocket. "Goodbye Lieutenant Kathleen, tell Hughes I said hi."

Kat heard the gunshot ring in her ears and felt an excruciating pain in her chest before falling forward onto the ground. "Like brother like sister," Envy sneered, turning back into himself before turning and began walking away. He only got about a few yards away when suddenly the air began to get extremely cold. He looked around and everything in sight was beginning to freeze, even to his horror, his own body. He managed to turn around before his feet became encased in ice immobilizing him.

"You let your guard down," Kat whispered, her hands on the ground and a transmutation circling glowing brightly, illuminating her face.

"That's not possible, I shot you in the same spot as your brother. There's no way you survived that shot, especially at that close of range," Envy shouted shocked by the outcome as his legs followed by his waist turned to ice as well.

"I'll admit, I was surprised too, until I found this," Kat said pulling from her coat a tin box that now had a dent in it.

"What is that?" Envy asked through clenched teeth as the ice continued to creep its way up.

"Colonel Mustang's spare ignition gloves, sealed tightly away in a stainless steel waterproof box. He protected me from you just as he did the last time."

"So what now?" Envy asked with a laugh. "As you've seen I'm not that easy to kill."

"I know that," Kat said frowning. "Greed told me all about you guys."

"So he did spill his guts. I wonder what it was you had to give him in return though," Envy said with an evil grin. "Knowing him it wasn't anything small. So now that you have me frozen in place what do you plan to do? Even if you shatter me into a million pieces I'll only come back to haunt you. It's impossible to kill me and now that we know just how much you know you'll die in no time at all, you and that Ishbalan friend of yours."

"You know something, I really feel sorry for you," Kat said softly. "I didn't come here for vengeance because I know neither my brother nor Roy would want that for me. I came here because I want you to tell your master and the other homunculi that they're in for a rude awakening. And even if I could kill you, I wouldn't, because you're not worth it. Instead, I'm going to leave you with your broken pride where all you have is your hatred and self pity to keep you company. I can't think of a punishment worse than that."

She turned around and left with Envy shouting death threats and obscenities after her. "You *%$# get back here and finish this fight. You'll only be killing yourself and your friends if you leave it unfinished." She ignored him and continued her way home.

* * *

"So…how'd it go?" Elly asked from her bed as Kat entered the room closing the door slowly so as not to make a sound.

"It went better than I expected it to, actually," Kat said with a smile as she slipped the coat off.

"Great, and you might want to get that fixed," Elly stated pointing at the jacket.

Kat looked down and saw in dismay that there was now a bullet hole where Envy had shot her. "Shoot, and I really liked this coat too. Better get it fixed before the Colonel sees it."

"Yeah really or he'll be asking some strange questions," Elly agreed lying down under her covers. "I'm not going to ask what you were doing out there or who shot you but I am curious as to whether or not you finished it?"

"As far as I'm concerned, it is," Kat told her laying down on her bed. "I have a feeling that tomorrow will decide it all."

* * *

The next day Roy and Hawkeye were in the infirmary speaking with Havoc about the upcoming battle. "So what are you doing now?" Havoc asked sadly.

"We're going to start a war up north apparently," Roy answered with a shrug. "The Fuhrer isn't going to rest until we're all dead."

"Bummer, I wish I could be up there to help," Havoc replied. Just then the door opened and in walked Fury telling the Colonel that it was time to leave.

"Master Sergeant Fury during your last examination it was discovered that you have athlete's foot and that it is now affecting your brain," Hawkeye told him walking up with a medical chart in her hand.

"I'm sorry but we just can't mobilize you now," Roy added shoving Fury onto the second bed and pulling off his glasses at the same time. Then he turned around and put them on Hawkeye's face and stepped back to admire his handy work. "Hmm…not bad."

"Very funny sir."

"Hmm, I suppose you're right," Roy said taking them off once more.

Just then Kat came in. "Colonel, urgent news…" she stopped when she suddenly found herself having glasses put on her.

Everyone in the room stared at her and Roy smiled. "You really are Maes's sister."

Kat stared for a moment before smiling. "Strange, and here I always thought glasses didn't suit me."

Hawkeye cleared her throat to bring the others back to reality, "You were saying something about urgent news? What is it?"

"Well, Elly is gone," Kat informed them.

"What?" Both Roy and Havoc exclaimed.

"You see, this morning we got a call relating to the Elric brothers," Kat explained. "I didn't think it was something to be ignored, yet I knew now was hardly the time to disappear. That and I didn't want you to have an ulcer upon finding me gone again, Colonel. So she went instead."

"So why did she feel the need to leave? I figured she'd be sticking around to help out," Havoc asked surprised.

"She felt obligated to help them out," Kat clarified.

"If it isn't one of you it's the other," Roy said with a sigh, but then a grin spread across his lips. "Oh well, nothing we can do now. Guess we'll have to change our plans a bit."

"I've seen that look before," Kat said tilting her head to the side. "What are you planning?"

He just grinned broadly without a word and continued on his way. A few minutes later, Mustang stood with Armstrong as the Fuhrer sent them off. "I'm sorry for placing so many difficult missions on you," Bradley said shaking Mustang's hand.

"It's an honor to serve you sir," General Mustang replied.

"I want you to know that I don't believe any of the doubts against you Mustang. I consider this to be proof of that," Bradley replied.

"Thank you sir, we won't let you down," Roy replied with a salute. Armstrong then expressed his concerns for Central while they were away only to have them shot down by the announcement that Archer was alive and would be taking care of the defense.

Bradley then left the two to their duties before going to his office. There, he entered a secret elevator that took him underground. "Thank you for your hard work, Fuhrer," a cool female voice welcomed him. "Even if we provoke the people in the north there is no way the people there could forge the philosopher's stone."

"That no longer matters. Now we are simply covering up our tracks."

"So it's not just Mustang you're after?"

"Of course not. Anyone and everyone who has come in contact with the stone will be destroyed. Envy will make sure of that."

* * *

It was early the next morning, after a sleepless night of searching, Elly found herself at an old rundown factory. She didn't feel the two of them until she heard the report of a gun firing and some loud shouting. "Yep that's them," she thought rolling her eyes. She ran into the building and brought up a huge gust of wind that kept a stream of bullets from making contact with Ed. "Woah you two really got yourselves into a mess this time," she said jumping into the fray.

"Gah! What the heck are you doing here?" Ed asked her in surprise. "Now's not exactly the greatest time for you to be here."

"I'd beg to differ. Kat and I got a call from Winrey, she's worried sick about the two of you and asked if we'd make sure you were all right. She also told us that Al received a call from Shou Tucker and we got worried as well. So now I'm here," Elly explained bracing herself for anything else that might happen.

Suddenly Al screamed as Sloth began sliding into his armor in order to control his movements. "Al!" Ed shouted and rushed to his brother's aid. Before Elly could help out, Lust and Wrath started hashing out their own civil war.

Elly was torn between trying to help Ed and Al out and taking care of the other two homunculi. She decided on the latter, feeling that the Elrics could take care of themselves and turned to face the battling homunculi. As soon as she spotted Lust she understood how they were formed. Jumping in the battle she found herself deflecting shots from Wrath and somehow found herself team up with Lust to defeat him.

"Hey no fair, that's cheating!" Wrath shouted angrily as he fought against both of them to find himself heavily outdone.

"On the battle field, there's no such thing as fair," Lust told him stabbing him through the gut. "Only those who die and those who come out alive."

Wrath fell to the ground in agony and his shouts of pain were immediately followed by a woman's scream that came from where the Elric brothers disappeared to. "Mommy?" Wrath called out uncertainly. Then his eyes widened as another scream pierced the air, "MOMMY!!" He dashed off in that direction leaving Elly utterly speechless as to what to do now.

"What a baby he is," Lust said shaking her head. "Not like you Elenora…you've really grown up."

Elly spun around and took the first really good look of Lust she could get. "Solaris…is that you?" she asked feeling her breath catch in her throat.

"Yes, I remember now," Lust said with a soft smile. "You were his little sister, the Scar man's. I've been remembering more and more lately. Soon I may have all my memories back, and once I have the stone, I'll truly be complete."

"Wait so you are the homunculi formed from Mat's fiancée?" Elly asked trying to understand what was happening.

"Yes I am, why do you ask?"

"Because that means that you aren't really Solaris…I know that even though you look like her and even sound like her, that you aren't really her. Even if you did use the stone to gain a soul you still wouldn't be my sister…no mater how much I'd want it," Elly said lowering her head and clenching her fist.

"You sound exactly like him," Lust said disdainfully. "How will you know unless you let me try?"

A small grin appeared on Elly's lips and she chuckled softly. "That's the first time someone said I sounded like him….I just wish I could tell him myself. As for letting you try…not a chance. I know that there is nothing in this world that you can exchange for someone's life….not even the stone can bridge that gap in equality." She looked up and set her face straight, "No matter how much I wish it were true…I know that you can't ever become who Solaris was."

Lust frowned at her. "I see. Then I guess I can safely assume that you won't allow me to get my wish."

Elly nodded, "Exactly…and I won't let the rest of the homunculus get it either." She braced herself and went through the symbols she had in her jacket ready to use one at the moment she needed it.

"I won't let you get in my way," Lust said pointing her fingers at Elly. "No matter who you may be. I won't let anyone get in the way of my dream to be human." The fingers shot out, aiming for Elly's diaphragm.

She dodged to the right bringing up a weapon she made with the components in the air. Another set of fingers shot out following her movements but Elly deflected these and went in for a good shot only to be pushed back by yet another wave.

After a few minutes of dodging and running for the inside attack she found herself up against one of the walls. Taking her few seconds of extra time she pulled out a piece of chalk and drew a symbol on the wall sending out a spike that caught Lust in the chest. Elly breathed in a sigh of relief seeing the woman hanging from the spike and felt something wet flow down her cheeks.

"That was heartless Elly dear," Lust said in a strained voice as she lifted her head up, blood trickling from her mouth. "You truly are your brother's sister. Never would I have imagine you would turn out like this." With some effort she detached herself from the spike. "I have to say, as an older sister, I'm proud of you."

Elly's eyes widened as she realized that she forgot these guys regenerated. Clenching her teeth she leapt over her spike and rushed to a more open area in order to better use her abilities. "Did you honestly think that little trick would finish me off?" Lust asked walking over to her slowly as her chest healed.

"Maybe….and maybe I was just stalling for time," Elly said picking up a large clump of dirt and mixing it with the air. Using this she formed a more solid weapon that combined her two elements together. "I may not defeat you but I'm not letting you get a hold of that stone," Elly declared holding her weapon at the ready.

"I know that it's only natural for sisters to fight," Lust said as she began taking swings at Elly with her long spear-like fingers. "But honestly, Elly, don't you think this is taking it a bit too far?"

"I'm not the one that started the fight, but I will stand by what I said before. I really don't want to fight but I refuse to allow you to use the stone at the same time," Elly said continuing to dodge and block all the attacks that came her way.

Then the battle came to an unexpected halt when Lust looked down and noticed that she was standing in the center of a transmutation circle. Elly noticed this too and wandered what it was used for, so she bent down to get it started hoping it would help her out. "Are you really going to kill me Elly?" Lust asked smiling sadly at her.

"What are you talking about?" Elly asked looking up in surprise.

"Isn't that what you were going to do? I doubt you have the stomach to go through with it, your brother didn't after all," Lust told her. Elly looked away trying to figure out what to make of it and what she was going to do until she felt something sharp pierce her clothes and fling her back until she hit a wall. She looked down and saw to her surprise one of Lusts fingers was sticking out of her left shoulder.

"You should have just let me become human Elly," Lust said. "But you and that little brat had to get in the way. Using you both was a mistake from the start."

"And why's that, Lust?" A young boy's voice said maliciously. "Is it because I can use alchemy, or did you forget that little detail?" Lust tried to escape but Wrath through a locket at her which immobilized her and he activated the circle.

Elly watched in horror as Lust coughed up all the stones she had swallowed making a reddish liquid all over the floor. She was forced to be reminded of the day that her sister came down with an illness that made her cough up blood and seeing Lust like that made tears rush to her eyes.

"Stop…please stop it," she whispered.

Then she watched unable to move as Wrath walked up and sliced Lust in half killing her instantly. She stared at Lust's corpse without noticing anything else, not even the blood that flowed down her shoulder.

"Come on Wrath let's go," Envy said walking in with Al in tow.

"What about her?" Wrath asked pointing toward Elly who was lying against the wall in a dazed state.

"Don't worry about her…she's dead to the world anyway," Envy said with a sneer before running off.

Elly sat there for the next couple of hours thinking, "I'm alone now…my family is all gone. I've got no one left….no reason to keep going." Then as a sunbeam to her sadden thoughts she saw Kat, Hughes, Mustang, Havoc, and the rest of them standing in front of her with smiles on there faces. "Wait that's right I've still got them…they might be my friends….but they're the only family I have now." With that thought in mind she picked herself up, bandaged up her left shoulder and moved as fast as she could to make it to Central in time to help with the plan.

* * *

CM: Yay, happiness. Well, we're closing in on the end fast. Stay tuned for the next installment.


	21. Success is Sometimes Bittersweet

**Success is Sometimes Bittersweet**

The nurse stepped into the infirmary and was surprised to find Lt. Havoc standing in front of the window. "Lt. Havok, you're supposed to be resting."

She was surprised a second time when the person who turned to look at her wasn't Havoc, but actually General Roy Mustang. He pulled off the blonde wig and asked her, "You good at keeping secrets, sweetheart?"

"O-of course General. Is it a secret mission?" she asked getting excited.

"Yes and we'd really appreciate it if you kept from speaking about this to anyone," Hawkeye told her coming up from behind.

"Can you do that?" Roy asked her.

"Of course," she said with a sparkle in her eye.

They walked out of the room where someone else was waiting just down the hall. A young woman with dark hair done up in a tightly knit bun, glasses, and a very proper looking maroon dress. "I've spoken with our confidant and the rendezvous has been arranged."

"Very good, let's head out so as not to be present when the others arrive," Roy said taking her arm and leading the way out of Central.

The moment they walked out the front door they were met by a man who was holding a door open in a rather luxurious looking car. "Here you are General just like you ordered," the man said stepping aside.

"Thank you," Roy said with a nod as he helped the woman into the car before getting in on the other side. Hawkeye got behind the wheel and they were off. "You're sure we can trust this man?" Roy asked the girl sitting beside him.

She nodded. "I've known him for a while so we should be safe. But I just have one question."

"Yes?"

"Why the heck do I have to wear this?" She asked motioning down to the dress.

He grinned a little evilly, "I've told you this before…you are supposed to be my special someone if anyone asks. That and I just wanted to see you in it."

"That's surprisingly mean of you, General," Kat said looking out the window to conceal the flush creeping up her neck.

"Just remember who you're doing this for," he reminded. Kat knew very well whom he was talking about. She could only imagine what her brother would say if he saw her now. If they could pull this off, then Kat would truly be able to move on. And she had a feeling Roy would as well.

* * *

"I can't lead these guys into battle," Havoc shouted in hysteria pulling off his Roy wig.

"Of course you can. I know that you two will do a magnificent job," Armstrong expressed pulling Havoc and Fury into a big hug.

Just then some shots rang out and there was a sliding noise as someone slid into the trench. "Sorry I'm late…what's the situation?" a voice rang out.

"Elly!" Havoc exclaimed happily and pulled her into a hug ignoring the fact that she was turning as red as a tomato. "Thank goodness you're alright."

"This is fantastic," Fulman said. "Now we can go by the original plan."

Elly managed to pull herself away from Havoc and looked over at Fulman, "What was the original plan?"

He answered by holding up a dark wig for Kat's hair and a big grin on his face. Elly sighed and rolled her eyes but grabbed a Lieutenants uniform and the wig and went to change….making sure that she was not being watched as she did so. When she came back out she looked almost identical to Kat except that her face was slightly darker…but from a distance who would notice. "Right so now what?" she asked taking a peek over the edge at the surrounding area. "You never did answer my question on the current situation."

"Well, we're right now facing off in a revolt against the Central military force. General Mustang, Lt. Hawkeye, and Lt. Kathleen are back at central fighting their war there," Havok explained. "And I'm supposed to be standing in for the General. Oh and get this, Fury is Hawkeye."

Elly nearly burst out laughing and only just managed to contain her amusement. "So I'm guessing those guys out there are Fuhrer supporters right?" she asked looking over the edge. "I only just managed to get passed them on my way here."

"Yep that's them. Unfortunately there were fewer people who decided to help out the General than we originally expected," Havoc explained.

"Great…I don't think they'd believe us if we told them that Bradley wasn't human would they," Elly asked sarcastically.

"We tried and you see the outcome," Fury piped up.

"It's no use standing around bemoaning the past," Armstrong told them valiantly. "We must hold our heads high and fight for the good of the state and of the people."

"Do you think everyone else will be okay?" Fury asked worriedly.

"No worries, Mustang and Kat are there. Between those two nothing could stand in their way," Breda said assured.

"Hey you got that right, if they can keep it together and not argue with each other at least," Elly said shaking her head. "When you've got fire and ice you get steam and that's not a pretty picture."

"So how are we going to keep these men busy long enough?" Fulman asked looking at the large crowd. "They've got us completely surrounded."

"I think I've got an idea," Elly started.

"We don't need a sand storm, cause that would signal that you are here and it would only serve to scare them away, not keep them busy," Havoc said rolling his eyes.

"That's not what I had in mind," Elly muttered. "I'm not that stupid Havoc. I was going to say that every once in a while someone could poke their head or some part of them above the trench and make them fire….you know just to get their attention."

"It's risky, but it's worth a shot," Breda said.

"Well, if something goes wrong, we got Elly to back us up," Havok said grinning.

Suddenly there was a rumbling sound. "Sounds like they're bringing in the tanks," Fulman stated. "Well, guess it's time for my Flame Alchemist impersonation." And with that he got out a huge gun and began blasting away.

Elly laughed and joined him at the wall asking the location of the tanks and with Armstrong's help took them out from below. "They honestly thought tanks would have any effect against the strong arm alchemist?" Armstrong asked flexing his muscles.

"I doubt they were that stupid," Elly told him while keeping her eyes on the attackers. "I'd say they brought those out to help lessen our troops then they were used to take you out."

* * *

"I want to thank you again for coming," Roy told the gentleman sitting with him as Kat sipped on her water.

"Not a problem. And since it was a job from the Fuhrer I finished as quickly as possible," he said in a friendly manner.

"So everything is exactly like the blueprint?"

"Yes, I followed every detail. Though I still don't understand why you'd want a wine cellar to be-" he trailed off as Roy took the blueprint. "Yeah I know what you mean. I'm just doing what the Fuhrer's secretary told me. I'm filling in for her while she's on vacation." He took out an envelope and slipped it to the man.

"Since you did a good job, here's a special thank you."

The man smiled. "You know, these thank yous are putting my kid through college."

"How is your son by the way?" Kat asked him politely.

"He's doing fantastic thanks to you. Your tutoring really helped him along," the man replied.

"I'm glad," Kat said.

"I see you're doing very well too. You know, you two make a charming couple."

"Thank you, we have been getting along quite well as of late," Roy answered as he stood up and placed a hand on Kat's shoulder. Her already red face flared up even more at his touch and he bid the man farewell. "Come…it's time we get going," he told Kat motioning toward the door.

"Yes, of course," Kat mumbled before smiling at the man. "Thanks again for helping on such short notice."

"Anytime. Take care now," he told them as he waved goodbye. Outside, Roy got changed out of his military uniform back into his suit. "If I planned it correctly, the Fuhrer should be returning home today." He glanced over at Hawkeye who was reading her paper with a grave look. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"It's says here the Elric Brothers were arrested today."

"I can't imagine anyone being able to hold those two," Kat said seriously. "But if they really have been caught we can't just leave them. They'll be executed before nightfall."

Roy's eyes narrowed and without a word he led the way back to the car and the three of them headed back to Central. Upon arrival they noticed the tale tell signs of alchemy being performed inside. "Looks like we didn't need to bale them out after all," Hawkeye mused.

She was about to continue forward when Edward Elric jumped off the wall and landed right in front of them. "I need to use your car," he shouted as his fists hit the hood.

"Well I'll be," Roy said slightly surprised.

A couple minutes later Edward was riding with them. "So where were you headed when you ran into me?"

"The Fuhrer's private estate," Hawkeye said.

"You gonna wish his kid happy birthday? They'll be ready for you."

"I staged a coup up north. The Fuhrer would never guess I'd be back here," Roy explained.

"Funny, I thought you were all about following the rules and boot licking so you could move up the ranks."

"Wait just a minute," Kat said indignantly. "You have no right to say that. Didn't you join the state for your own selfish desires?"

"The end justifies the means when it comes to accomplishing my own goals. That seemed like the best stance back then," Roy said softly.

"You know you'll never be able to take over for the Fuhrer once you do this," Ed reminded him.

"I can't let him get away with what he did," Roy declared.

"So you're doing this to avenge Hughes?" Ed asked.

"He must have known what was going on in the military and was killed for it. Just like you giving up your position as a state alchemist for your brother. Funny us both trying to live out our goals like children. I'm sorry but I can't take you with me," Roy said softly.

"When I joined the army war still seemed like something that only occurred in a far off place where other people died," Ed said lowering is head. "It just didn't seem real to me. But now I know that there are people who will start war just for the stone and that as long as there are people who want the stone wars will continue."

"So what are you planning on doing?" Kat asked him.

"I'll destroy the stone and erase it from mankind's memory, that way no one will go after it again."

"Destroy it?" Hawkeye asked.

"So I take it one has been made?" Roy inquired.

"Yeah," Ed replied.

"But wasn't it your dream to obtain it?"

"Not at the expense of so many lives. There's a whole world out there for us."

"Just don't get yourself killed," Kat told him with a smile ruffling his hair. "I don't want anything to happen to my DLF."

The car stopped next to the river and they let Ed out, where Roy went out to bid him farewell. He held out his left hand to shake Ed's and instead received a little slap. Ed just sat and smiled at him before turning to leave, but was stopped by Kat glomping him from behind, "Goodbye Ed and take care of yourself, you hear?"

He turned red and stuttered for a few seconds before he got a hold of his tongue, "Um…sure no problem." After that she let him go and he ran off into the sunset.

Then Roy placed a hand at the small of her back, "It's time to go meet the, Fuhrer," he said gravely.

"Right," Kat said turning serious once more.

They got in the car once more and Hawkeye drove them towards the Fuhrer's mansion. When they got to the gate and the guard came to check who they were, Kat knocked him out with a bullet of water right at the pressure point. She then got out of the car and opened the gate. "You remember your job?" Roy asked her as the car eased by.

"Stay here and make sure no one else comes in," Kat said with a nod.

While Kat stayed at the gate Hawkeye went to the door and Roy went around back to make his own way in. When the door opened Hawkeye demanded to see the Fuhrer as soon as possible and frightened the poor woman who opened the door. Within no time, however, Bradley had gotten the message and went to see who it was and what they wanted.

"Lt. Hawkeye what a surprise," he said seeing who it was. He brought her in and she told him that there were some soldiers on their way to his place in order to assassinate him. "What about the location of Mustang?" he asked.

"We just received word that he's heading up the war toward the North sir," on of his guards answered.

"That's just a centrifuge. Mustang has been here the entire time," Hawkeye declared angrily.

Suddenly there was a noise that came from the cellar door startling nearly everyone there. "It's probably just a rat. I'll go have a look," Bradley said jovially. "You two stay here with my family. If anything should happen take them to central headquarters immediately." And he went downstairs where he knew Roy was waiting.

Kat sat at the guard post outside with unconscious soldiers lying here and there. It was a dull job just sitting and waiting, but the peace was interrupted when a car was heading toward the estate at full speed crashing right through the gate. Quickly drawing a circle, she caused the ground to ice over making the car swerve out of control.

There was a great crash and she quickly went to catch up. She was horrified to see a Cyborg Archer shooting at the car that Hawkeye was in while the other soldiers attempted to restrain him. And then she saw a little boy jump out of one of the cars just as Archer shook himself free.

"I'm taking your car," he said heading for the only car that was not damaged in the crash.

Thinking fast Kat fashioned a few projectile weapons out of ice and sent them flying toward Archer hitting him on his left side. He turned around and took a few shots at her out of irritation before turning back to the car. In his inattention Kat had snuck up behind him and attempted to grab his arm but didn't see the metallic arm flying at her and sending her flying backward and hitting her head against the pavement.

* * *

*BOOM* "Geeze how many more tanks could they possibly have," Elly asked over the explosions and gunfire.

"By the look of things only three left," Havoc said with a grin letting go of a few more rounds.

"Just three, that shouldn't be too hard," Elly smirked.

"Just make sure you're still doing your Kat impression," Havoc reminded her.

"You got it." With that she focused her energy into the earth until she was satisfied and drew a circle on the wall releasing a pressurized water bed underneath the ground into one of the tanks sending it flying into the air and crashing down in a heap.

"Nice work," Havoc complimented.

"Thanks," Elly said with a grin.

"Be careful," Armstrong told them. "They're getting ready to fire again."

Havoc and Elly both sat waiting. "We might have this thing over with pretty soon by the looks of it."

"Havoc, look out!" Fury screamed from several feet away. Havoc looked up to see a terrified soldier aiming his gun at him. "Whoa, there buddy. Just calm down. We're on your side, remember?"

"This is madness, we're fighting our own soldiers!" He ranted the gun shaking in his hands.

"Just take it easy mister….we haven't killed any of them. This whole thing is going to be over soon so just calm down," Elly said standing up slowly readying her alchemy if needed.

"How can I continue to fight our own soldiers? We're just making ourselves vulnerable to any enemy attack," he shouted while his finger twitched at the trigger. Suddenly another round went off frightening the man even more so that he fired.

Elly saw this a split second before it happened and had enough time to shove Havoc out of the way before using her wind to knock the guy unconscious. Then breathing hard she leaned against the dirt wall and slid to the ground trying to catch her breath.

Havoc pulled himself up off the ground and quickly went to Elly's side. "Elly? Are you alright? Say something." She mumbled something. "Come again?" He asked her leaning in closer.

"Why am I always saving your sorry butt?" she finally managed to get out.

Havoc smiled in relief as he lifted her up into his arms and carried her over to a safer spot. "I'll make it up to you once this is all over. For now, just take it easy, alright?"

"Funny I always thought it'd be my mouth that got me shot," Elly muttered holding onto her right side.

"Well don't you worry, General Mustang is going to finish things off in Central and then we'll be headed home and we'll get that taken care of," Havoc promised.

"I think I can hold out until then," Elly said smiling weakly.

"Good now save your breath and don't say another word," Havoc commanded standing up and picking up his gun.

"I'll be right back, don't you dare die on me." Elly just smiled and then closed her eyes breathing deeply trying to keep the sound of the battle in her head. Then as she heard someone shouting that it was over and that they could now go back to Central she lost her grasp on consciousness and slumped over feeling her pain vanish.

"Kat! Lt. Kathleen, wake up!" Kat heard someone shouting at her and shaking her roughly and she managed to force open her eyes to see Hawkeye kneeling over her. Her head felt like it was about to split in half and her vision was rather fuzzy. "Thank goodness," Hawkeye said with relief.

"What happened?" Kat asked forcing her body to move. "Where's Archer?"

"He headed off to the mansion but I needed to make sure you were alright before I went to help the General," Hawkeye explained.

"We have to help him," Kat mumbled trying to get onto her feet. With Hawkeye's help she managed to stand and the two of them headed off toward the mansion as fast as they could.

Upon arrival they spotted Archer standing at the entrance and staring at the front door to the burning building. Hawkeye, upon seeing him, pulled out her weapon and fired several times killing him in seconds. Then she helped Kat up the steps until they spotted Roy Mustang sprawled out on the ground in a pool of his own blood and the little boy lying next to him.

Riza's eyes widened in horror and she ran over to him kneeling next to him and shaking him. "General! Dammit Roy Mustang talk to me!"

Kat stood there feeling as if she were in a nightmare, the stench of smoke from the burning mansion making her breathing all the more difficult. A deep pain rose within her chest as she saw in Roy's place, her brother. "No…" she whispered as she stumbled over to him. "I won't let that happen. Not again." She had already lost her brother and a close friend. She was not going not lose him. Once she made it to him she felt for a pulse and found none. But there was still hope…. "Riza, call an ambulance," she said softly. "And don't worry, he won't die. I won't let him."

Hawkeye nodded and rushed off to the nearest phone to call for an ambulance. As soon as she was gone Kat began moving Mustang's blood through his body until she got his heart pumping again. As soon as that was accomplished she worked on stemming the blood flow from his wounds starting with the worse ones. As she worked she could hear him breathing shallowly and kept listening to make sure it didn't stop. "You have nothing to worry about sir, I'm here now and I'm not going to let you die," she said softly as she worked.

"Just knowing you are there makes all the worries disappear," Mustang whispered through his pain.

Kat looked down in surprise to see that his right eye, the one that wasn't shot out, was open barely. Tears began streaming down her face in both happiness and relief but also with sadness for seeing him in that kind of pain. "Silly, why are you crying? Aren't you… glad to see me?"

"Idiot," Kat whispered as she tore off the hem of her dress and soaked it with hot water before she began cleaning the blood off of his face. "Just don't talk and relax." As she spoke her vision was swimming. Soon she was seeing three Roy's and felt a blood stained hand gently cup her cheek.

"Where's that smile of yours…you always look much prettier when you have a smile," he whispered barely making his words audible.

She instinctively grabbed his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Then I'll never stop smiling, for your sake," she murmured. "Just stay with me, Roy… stay…" and her vision of Roy's face faded away into black as she felt herself falling into darkness.

* * *

"Hmm…where am I?" Elly grumbled opening her eyes and glancing around the white room noticing a pressure at one end of her bed. She tried to sit up but only managed to cause a zing of pain to shoot through her body and she fell back onto her pillow making the pressure move and leave her bed.

"Elly, are you awake? Say something," Havoc said softly brushing the loose hair out of her face.

She glanced up and saw him standing there worry written all over his face. "Did we win?" she murmured trying to get a hold of what had happened and was happening now.

Havoc managed a small laugh as he gently moved some hair out of her face. "Yeah, we did, thanks to you. How are you feeling?"

"Like a truck ran me over," she answered with a laugh and then flinched. "So what happened to the others? I suppose the General defeated the Fuhrer, so what happened to him, Kat, and Hawkeye?" she asked trying to sit up again.

"Both are in recovery right now," Havoc told her. "General Mustang suffered severe injury so he's going to be out of it for a while. Lt. Hawkeye received a bullet in the arm, but other than that, she's fine. As for Kat…. She hasn't woken up yet."

Elly's eyes widened and she tried to get up but Havoc shoved her back down seemingly ready for her reaction. "You're just going to make your injuries worse," he said keeping one hand on her right shoulder to keep her from trying again. "She's going to be fine, honestly. The doctors say that she has a concussion but that she'll recover nicely from it," Havoc explained calming Elly down.

"That's good to hear, I just didn't want to lose another friend," Elly replied looking away from him. "So how long have I been out and what happened during that time?" she asked looking at him again.

"You've been out for a full day, that's all," Havoc assured her, ruffling her hair. "I promise you didn't miss anything." Suddenly there was a scream from down the hall and a loud crashing noise following directly after that.

"That sounded like Kat," Elly said alarmed trying to move again but disturbed her wounds and flinched heavily.

"Quit moving already," Havoc said angrily. "I'll find out what's wrong you just sit still already." With that he headed off to Kat's room where he found several nurses already there helping Kat back into her bed. "What happened here?" he asked looking at the shattered mirror next to the sink.

"I'm afraid that Lieutenant Kathleen cannot see," one of the nurses explained.

"Yes we've sent for a doctor to help us understand whether this blindness is temporary or permanent," another added.

"Wait a minute, you're telling me that she's blind?" Havoc asked going pale.

"That's correct," the nurse said nodding.

"How did that happen?"

"She received a severe concussion that is affecting her eyesight," the nurse explained. "In most cases though, the patient regains their sight between a few days to a few weeks, depending on how severe the injury is."

"Poor thing," Havoc said glancing over at Kat. "Mind if I talk to her real quick, just to calm her down some?"

"I'm not sure if… "

"Havoc, is that you?" Kat asked looking in his direction.

"Yeah it's me," he answered soothingly. "Don't worry, you're in good hands. The fight's over and right now we're just trying to recover from it. Now please allow these nurses to help you back to bed and stay there."

"A-alright," Kat said relaxing a little.

"I have some things I need to take care of but I'll send for Breda, Fury, or Fulman to keep you company, okay?"

She nodded. "Sure… thanks Havoc."

"No problem," Havoc said patting her head before leaving the room, praying that her condition really was only temporary.

* * *

CM: Oh noes! The battle is over but now how will Kat be able to face Roy? Stay tuned!


	22. Blind Date

**Blind Date**

A few days later, Elly was already up and moving around, albeit she wasn't allowed to do any strenuous activity that would cause her stitches to come undone. Kat had recovered from her delirium but her eyesight had still not recovered. She underwent immediate rehabilitation and was learning how to function without her eyesight.

The moment Elly was allowed to see Kat she ran into her room and gave her a big hug. "How you doing Kat, feeling all right? Is there anything I can do for you or are you all set for now?" she asked feeling horrible at finding out her best friend was temporarily blind.

"Other than the fact that I can't see, I actually feel alright," Kat replied. When she was released from the hug, she reached up feeling her friends face. "Sorry, they told me I should do this to become more acquainted with this lifestyle. I've been learning how to move around on my own, but I need this stick so that I don't run into things."

Elly allowed Kat to feel her face and waited until she was done to continue talking. "So what's it like being blind? I know it's probably stupid of me to ask but I've always wondered about it," Elly asked sitting down on Kat's bed.

"It's a different world," Kat explained to her. "There's no colors, no light, no faces. Only sounds, smells, and feelings. I'll admit, it was scary at first, but I'm becoming more adapted to it. By the way, from what I've heard, Havoc never left your side the whole time you were recuperating," she added, a small grin spreading across her lips.

"Yeah it was pretty annoying too. He wouldn't give me a break, not even when he was eating….he'd come and eat his food right in front of me," Elly said breathing a sigh. "I never thought I'd see the day where he could possibly get more annoying than he already was."

"It's only because he cares about you," Kat told her.

"Yeah right, he only does it to bug me," Elly said rolling her eyes. "By the way, I heard the General is already out of the hospital and recuperating back at his own house."

Kat nodded. "Yeah… it's going to be a while before he comes back to work."

"Same goes for you, I doubt they'll have any work for you to do until you get your eyesight back," Elly said ruffling her hair. "I'm not worried though I know the two of you will be back on your feet in no time," she added with a big grin. "Now what's with this disturbing news that you haven't gone to see to General yet?"

Kat lowered her head. "I don't think I could face him. Not like this."

"Why, because you can't see him?" Elly asked her incredulously. "He wants to see you. I know it."

"Look at me Elly. If my eyesight doesn't come back, then what good am I to him?"

"I doubt he'll care right now if you're of use to him or not. He'll just want to know that you're alright and it'll probably make him feel good to know that you went to see him," Elly explained tapping her finger.

"There's other reasons," Kat said quietly.

"Yeah, yeah, you love him," Elly said impatiently and Kat flushed pink. "So why not just tell him? It might make things a little easier on yourself rather than keeping it bottled up. The war's over so what's stopping you?"

"I don't want to become a burden to him any further," Kat answered.

"When have you ever been a burden? Sure you've run off a few times without telling him but that just made him worry. You're good enough with or without your sight to not be a burden for him," Elly exclaimed rolling her eyes. "If nothing else by telling him you'll know if he feels the same, though I already know the answer to that one."

"I'm not so sure," Kat said uncertainly.

Elly gave a sigh before taking Kat by the arm and pulling her up off the bed and dragged her out of the room. "Come on, let's go."

"Wait, where are we going?" Kat asked as she followed along blindly.

"You're going to go see Mustang."

"Elly, haven't you listened to a word I've said?" Kat asked now trying to pull herself free.

"You've got to see him sometime and the longer you wait the harder it's going to be so you might as well do it now," she told her easily pulling her along.

"But he can't see me like this," Kat declared continuing to pull away from Elly.

"Is it that he can't see you or that you feel you're responsible for what happened to him?" Elly asked stopping for a moment. Kat was silent for a few moments. "I figured as much," Elly said with a shake of her head. "Your way of thinking is so ridiculous sometimes it astounds me. From what I heard, it was thanks to you he even managed to survive. Now you're going to talk to him even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming all the way over there and lock you in a room with him."

Kat couldn't help but smile. "You'd really go that far?"

"If it was to get you out of this somewhat depressed state then yeah. You need this as much as he does and don't you deny it," Elly continued pulling Kat along the way this time with less resistance. "Though if you kept that up I probably wouldn't have been able to do it without help considering the fact that I'm still recovering as well."

"Tell you what then, let's make a deal," Kat said as she followed along with her friend's guidance. "I'll go see Roy and tell him the truth, if you bite the bullet and give dating Havoc a chance."

Elly stopped in her tracks and thought as her right hand twitched a bit. "Deal, if you manage to spill it to Mustang then….I'll go on a date with Havoc," Elly replied rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "Now let's get over to Mustang's alright." Kat nodded and the two of them continued on their way.

* * *

Soon after they arrived, Elly had Hawkeye take Kat up to see Roy while she waited down stairs to catch her breath.

"How is your condition?" Riza asked her as they traversed to the room Roy was resting in.

"I'm adjusting," Kat replied simply. "Roy doesn't know, does he?"

"As much as I detest withholding such information, I thought it would be better he heard it from you."

"…."

"Or do you plan on not telling him?"

"I just don't want him to worry," Kat said despondently. "Though I guess keeping it from him would only make things worse in the long run."

"Do what you think is best," Riza told her simply. She knocked on the door of Roy's room.

"Come in."

She opened the door and walked inside to see Roy sitting up in bed. "It seems you have a visitor, General," Riza said stepping aside to reveal Kat standing there looking rather anxious. "I'll leave you two alone for a bit." And she left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Roy smiled and motioned to the chair next to him. "Where have you been? I expected you to come everyday to annoy me," he said a little amused. "What kept you away?"

"It almost sounds as if you WANTED me to come annoy you, General Mustang," Kat said softly.

"Not really," Roy responded. "But I did want to see you."

Kat hesitated before walking tentatively forward as she spoke. "I guess I was afraid I'd only be bothering you." By sheer luck she managed to locate the chair and she sat herself down in it. She thought it would be easier to speak with Roy about her feelings since she was blind at the moment. But even though she couldn't see him, she could hear the expression in his low soothing voice and could smell more potently than ever before the familiar aroma that was Roy Mustang.

"So how have you been? I heard that you were injured as well and that was why you didn't come to visit me. I also heard that you were the reason I survived that night, I guess that means I owe you," Roy said with a smile and a small chuckle.

"That's not necessary, sir," Kat said quickly. "As far as injury goes… I received a concussion, but I'm more or less recovered from it."

"I see," Roy replied raising his eyebrow. "Lt. Kathleen…..what color is my shirt?"

Kat stiffened as she realized with dread that he must have noticed the difference in her movements. She didn't know what to say, so she lowered her head and remained silent.

"Why didn't you tell me you couldn't see? It would have made things a lot easier for me you know, I wouldn't have made a fool of myself thinking you could see my expressions for one thing," Roy exclaimed shaking his head and making sure that he exaggerated the feeling in his voice. "I really wish you would tell me things more and trust that I can handle them…no matter what they might be," he sighed in a softer tone.

"I'm sorry," Kat said in a choked voice. "I just feel like I've failed you. I promised I would become a state alchemist so that I could stay close to you, protect you, and help you fulfill your dream. I wanted to help you to forgive yourself and forget the past. I just… wanted you to be happy. But how can I do any of that when I'm like this?"

"It makes me happy to know that those close to me trust me enough to tell me when things are wrong or when they need help. Hiding things from me isn't a help, if anything it's a hindrance. I get worried and angry when something happens and I only find out about it in the after math," Roy said anger and annoyance dripping off his every word.

Kat looked up at him, her eyes hidden by the sunglasses she was wearing. Suddenly she reached up with both hand and touched his face. She felt it. Felt the tightness of his jaw. Felt the soft, unblemished skin. Felt the strands of ebony hair that hung in his face. Lastly she felt the eye patch covering his left eye. "You're right…. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just too much of a coward to trust people anymore."

He sighed and placed his hand over hers, "You are the last person I'd peg as a coward. You've done so many things on your own and were probably scared through most of it, so don't sell yourself short…you're still one of the bravest people I know."

"Thank you, General," Kat said managing a smile. "That means a lot to me. If my eyesight doesn't return…."

"No, you're not allowed to quit," Roy said firmly.

"But sir," Kat began.

"It doesn't matter if you're blind or not. You can still do a lot without eyesight. Besides, I need you to continue being at my side."

"If that's what you want, sir," Kat replied after a few moments.

"It is," he answered. Suddenly she felt him reach up and pull her sunglasses off. "Much better," he murmured. Kat knew she must be fire engine red by now. Could she really tell him?

"Is there something else you wanted to tell me?" he asked sitting back against the headboard of his bed.

"What do you mean?" Kat asked surprised.

"You came here to tell me that…you love me…didn't you?"

Kat began to stutter and attempted to turn away. "General, I…"

"Roy," he corrected, and she felt his hand touch her cheek before gently turning her face to him once more. She could almost hear the award winning smile in his voice. "Am I wrong?" he asked lightly stroking her cheek, sending shivers down her spine.

For a moment Kat couldn't move. She was frozen all except for her heartbeat which seemed to nearly reach its full capacity. Then she suddenly stood up. "I should get going. You need your rest and…"

As she turned to leave, Roy's hand shot out and caught hold of her wrist making her lose her balance and fall over backwards landing on his bed. She felt a hand move along her cheek bone as she laid there. "Please don't leave just yet…your company is rather soothing," he whispered softly.

"General…" Kat began.

"Roy," he reminded gently threading his fingers through her hair as if to wipe away all thoughts of leaving from her mind. "Go ahead and say your true feelings…it'll lift whatever weight is on your shoulders," Roy said smiling widely.

"I want to stay by your side always." Kat spoke in a hushed voice. "Even if I can never see again, I'll help you in any way I can."

He smiled and continued playing with her hair, "I wouldn't have it any other way. I need you by my side at all times. You bring joy and laughter into my dark and depressed life."

Kat reached up and took hold of his hand. "I'm glad to hear that, sir. If there's anything you need…"

"What I need is for you to stay right here with me…if you would," Roy answered cutting her off. "This isn't an order between General and Lieutenant, but a request between friends."

"I'll stay as long as you need me, sir," Kat promised.

"How many times do I have to tell you," He asked her as she felt his body shift and a warm breath of air skirt over her face. "It's Roy." Only one thing registered in Kat's mind. He was close… too close -or maybe not close enough- and getting closer.

"Roy…" A soft whisper, and then silence.

* * *

"So how did it go in there?" Elly asked walking up to Hawkeye.

"Oh are you feeling better?" Hawkeye asked turning away from the door.

"Yeah, I finally got my breath back. So what's going on? I know you were eavesdropping," Elly asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well it seems that they finally told each other what their feelings were and it's been pretty quiet in there ever since," Hawkeye explained.

"So she did it after all….bummer, I knew I shouldn't have made that deal," Elly expressed heaving a sigh.

"What deal?" Hawkeye asked with a hint of suspicion.

"The deal was that if Kat told Mustang her feeling… then I had to go on a date with Havoc."

"Really, is that all?" Hawkeye asked. "Though I must admit I never thought you would accept such a proposal."

"Well it was the only way I could think of to actually get her over here. I know it was kind of dumb but I guess it could be worse," Elly expressed scratching the back of her head.

"I suppose," Hawkeye agreed. "So then how are you going to do it….ask Havoc I mean?"

"I have no idea…I honestly never expected that I'd have to do it this soon," Elly replied wearily. Just then the door opened and out walked Kat who closed the door silently.

"Leaving already?" Elly asked with a sly grin. "You seemed to be doing so well in there."

"He fell asleep so I decided to take my leave and let him rest," Kat answered without hesitation.

"I guess that works…so he accepted you, didn't he?" Elly said smirking again. "I told you it would be just fine….and now you two are closer than ever."

"Yes, now it's your turn," Kat told her. "We're going over to Gracia's and getting you some nice clothing for your date. But first, you need to have a chat with a certain cancer stick smoking blond."

"Yeah, yeah I know."

* * *

Later that day Elly found herself in Central's cafeteria going over idea's on how to accept a date from Havoc, she was in such deep thought that she didn't pay attention to what she was getting or where she was going. She sat down at a random table and started munching on some carrot sticks and only noticed who she was sitting by when she felt someone tapping on her shoulder.

"Hey Elly what's on your mind?" Breda asked catching her totally off guard.

"What…Oh sorry it's nothing really. I'm just contemplating how I'm going to turn these…mashed potatoes into a weapon," Elly answered jokingly.

Breda gave a laugh. "Not thinking about starting a food fight, are you? You might find yourself in trouble that way."

"Yeah well, I found out that the only way I'm going to get shot is by helping someone else so why not," Elly answered shrugging her shoulders.

"Well wait until I leave will ya?" he asked laughing.

"Sure but you'd better hurry up before I get bored," Elly replied.

"Right, oh by the way would you like to go to a movie with me tonight?" he asked off hand.

"No, Breda I'm not going on a date with you," Elly answered glowering at him.

"Can't blame me for trying can you?" Breda said scratching his head.

"Yeah I can….but since this is your first offence I'll let you off with just a no," Elly said menacingly.

"Well, it was worth a shot," Breda said with a sigh. "Guess I'll be going then. See you around."

Havoc, who had been passing by unnoticed and had managed to listen in on the conversation couldn't help but grin. "Heh, so Breda got shot down too," he thought to himself before approaching Elly's table. "Mind if I sit down, or would I be subjecting myself to further injury?"

Elly just shook her head and laughed. "No your safe Havoc go ahead and sit," Elly answered with a small grin.

He did so and watched as Elly preoccupied herself with her strange concoction of food. "So there's this restaurant that's opening up in a couple of weeks and I was wondering if you'd like to go to opening night with me," Havoc asked offhandedly.

"Um…sure why not," Elly answered making all the heads around them turn in shock.

"I was just wondering after all an….wait…did you just say yes?" he asked in utter surprise.

"Yeah…I've heard of the place and was kind of wanting to check it out myself when it opened," Elly answered with a shrug and a small smile.

For a few moments Havoc was completely silent. Then suddenly he stood up on top of the table and shouted at the top of his lungs. "VICTORY!!!"

Elly planted her palm on her forehead and heaved a sigh. "I knew this was going to come back to haunt me," she muttered under her breath watching as Havoc did his little victory dance.

Finally he got off the table, much to Elly's relief, and continued talking to her. "So you really meant that right…it wasn't just a joke?" he asked somewhat terrified.

"Yes Havoc I meant that…just don't ever do that again please," Elly answered with a light glare.

"Heh…right sorry about that. So does…6:00 sound good to you that night?" he asked with a smile.

"Sure, I'll be ready by then," Elly answered.

* * *

"I feel so self-conscious," Kat said out loud as she sat in the car that was parked in front of Roy's place with Havoc at the wheel and Elly sitting next to her.

"What, are you nervous?" Elly asked her.

"It's this outfit," Kat said, motioning down at herself. She was wearing a dark blue V-neck blouse and a squort with sandals.

"I think it looks great," Havoc commented, trying to sound as offhanded about it as he could.

"Quit worrying alright, you'll be just fine," Elly said patting her friend on the shoulder. "Just think he's going to walk out that door dressed in his nice going out clothes with his sleek black hair shining in the dimming sun. He'll have that I'm too good smile on his face and walk right up to this door opening it with the same flair he always has." As she finished her little description Roy Mustang walked out the door with his eye patch flashing in the sun as he glanced around before spying the car. "What do you know…here he comes."

"What does he look like?" Kat asked.

"He's wearing his maroon shirt with his brown over coat and a black tie that Hawkeye's messing with making sure that it's straight."

"Don't worry, Kat," Havoc told her. "Just loosen up and have fun. Though I have to say this is one heck of a blind date."

"You know, sometimes I think you have a list of puns written down somewhere to use at your leisure," Elly said rolling her eyes and giving him a say something else and you'll regret it look.

Just then Roy opened the door and put his head into the car. "Thank you for bringing her you two but we're going for a walk from here. Kathleen if you would join me," he said holding his arm out. Elly whispered into Kat's ear what he was doing and where his arm was and slowly she moved her hand forward until she found his arm. Then he carefully helped her out of the car and shut the door behind her.

"You look great by the way," Roy mentioned to her.

"Thanks," Kat said blushing appreciatively. "From Elly's description, you do too."

He gave a soft chuckle before saying, "Shall we?" And he began leading her down the street.

* * *

"This should be an interesting experience for both of them if nothing else," Havoc commented.

"If you look at it closely, the current situation is a blessing for both of them."

Havoc looked back at Elly in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Well you see over the years they built up barriers between each other to keep themselves from getting too close. See Kat was afraid that she'd be a burden to the General if she told him how she felt and he just didn't want to get too close to his best friend's sister…for obvious reasons. This is their chance to break down that barrier." Havoc stared at her with a blank look and Elly sighed before saying, "You know what, just forget it."

"I think I kind of see what you're getting at," Havoc said scratching the back of his head before giving her a sly grin. "But anyway, you ready to watch the show?"

"Count us in," Fulman, Fury, and Breda all said as they popped up next to Havoc's window.

"You guys didn't hide in the trunk did you?" Elly asked heaving a sigh.

"Of course," Fulman replied.

"You think we'd miss this?" Breda asked incredulously.

"I brought a camera just to take lots of pictures for Kat when her eyes get better," Fury answered.

"Okay…if it's for Kat….let's get moving guys," Elly replied with an evil grin.

"Right!" They all said together.

* * *

Meanwhile Kat was walking with Roy. It was such a different feeling. She had to keep close to him in case she stumbled over an unseen object. She had never walked with him with such close proximity before. She could smell the relaxing scent of his cologne wafting off of him as they walked. "So where are we going?" She asked with attempted cheerfulness to mask her apprehension.

He chuckled slightly, catching the slight apprehension that she failed to conceal. "It's a surprise…but I guarantee you'll enjoy it," he answered putting one hand around her waist to help keep her steady.

"Okay," Kat said, deciding to take his word for it. "How are your wounds?"

"Almost completely healed," he replied. "That one on the shoulder though… I doubt the scar from that will ever completely heal."

"I know what you mean," Kat said empathetically. "I still have the scar on my chest that Envy gave me. It's almost hard to believe that it's all over."

"Yes, it still seems like if I walked back into the office I'd find Bradley coming in to inspect my work or something like that," Roy replied. "I am glad, however, that you've stopped running off without telling anyone….that part I'll never wish to have back."

"I'm a cat, Roy," Kat said with a small smile. "I'm very loyal, but I come and go as I please. However, I always manage to return, don't I?"

"Yes you do…though there was that one that you almost didn't make it back from," Roy said remembering her fight with Envy. "Though I suppose part of that is my fault."

"We were both to blame," Kat said softly. "I acted rather childishly, hoping for something I knew could never happen."

"Well we're both alive and well and that is what matters," Roy said putting an end to the conversation. "We're here…take a minute and tell me what you think."

Kat stood for a while, listening. There was a soft breeze blowing. She smelled grass and foliage, she could here the sound of birds chirping. "Are we at the park?"

"Yes…I figured it would be one of the best places for you to enjoy with all your senses," Roy said taking her over to a fountain in the very center of the park. "So what do you think?"

"It's wonderful," Kat said with a smile as she listened to the water springing merrily from the fountain. "Thank you, Roy."

"Seeing this place reminds me of when you were younger, running around chasing the birds and talking to everyone who walked by," Roy said smiling. "Hughes would always get frustrated when you went splashing through the fountain."

"You mean like this?" Kat said with a sly grin before shoving him backwards into the fountain with a big splash. Kat sat there giggling while Roy came up spluttering. "Hehe, sorry, I couldn't resist."

"I see," he replied grabbing her arm and dragging her backwards into fountain as well. "Just like I couldn't resist that time."

* * *

"This is perfect," Elly murmured with a smile from behind a tree.

"Why's that?" Fury asked.

"I got both of them on film…now I have something to put up on my wall…just to annoy Kat once she's got her sight back."

"You know…you can be pretty evil sometimes," Havoc said with a small laugh.

"Wow, this is a side of the Flame I never even knew existed," Breda murmured as he watched the two start splashing each other until a big water fight ensued.

* * *

"You can't win, Roy," Kat said with a grin. "Even if I can't see, you're in my element."

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve," he said rolling up his own sleeves. Just as he was about to retaliate he received a tower of water to the face and came back up soaking wet. "Okay I give," he spluttered dripping wet.

"Yay! Victory," Kat cheered jumping up and down pumping her fists in the air, oblivious her wet clothes sticking very tightly against her body. Breda, Fury, and Havoc were all red in the face as they watched. They weren't the only ones who noticed either.

"Um…you should probably stop jumping up and down," Roy said standing up and grabbing her shoulders to make her stop. "Let's go get dried off and have some ice cream."

"Alright," Kat said allowing him to help her out of the fountain before she used her alchemy to dry them off. "That's the second time I've beaten you now, isn't it?"

"The second…when was the first?" Roy asked raising an eyebrow.

"You don't remember?" Kat said slyly. "Maybe I should jog your memory, Mr. Doggy Bone shorts."

"*cough* that wasn't a win, I won the match what you did was merely….a useless attempt at being amusing," Roy answered clearing his throat.

"I don't know, I found it pretty amusing," Kat said with a wide grin.

Her glee was interrupted however when she felt his cheek barely brush against her jaw line and his voice whisper huskily in her ear. "Careful not to get too overconfident when playing with fire, or you just might get burned."

"What if I don't mind getting burned?" She asked, trying to keep her cool.

"If that's the way you like it then keep pushing and you'll get a little fire," Roy whispered before pulling away and leading her down the walk toward the ice cream shop.

Kat followed along feeling much more relaxed than she had at the beginning of the date.

* * *

"Wow, this has got to be one of the strangest dates I've ever seen," Fury commented.

"Well, when you throw Kat into the mix, i ever dull," Havoc remarked.

"Gotta admit though, I'm starting to feel a little jealous," Breda muttered.

"Not me, she'd wear me down," Fulman said.

"Okay, so when you've all finished putting your eyeballs back into your heads you'll notice that they're on the move again," Elly said shaking her head and starting to follow them.

They all gave embarrassed mutterings before following after her.

* * *

"I'd like a triple scoop of chocolate, chocolate chip and mint chocolate please!" Kat told the ice cream man.

"You got it," he said before getting to work on her ice cream cone.

"You got enough chocolate in that ice cream?" Roy asked with a laugh.

"Nope not nearly enough…but it's good enough for now," Kat replied. Roy just shook his head before placing his order for 1 scoop of vanilla and 1 of strawberry. As soon as they got their treat they took a seat to enjoy it while relaxing.

Kat ate her ice cream very carefully, not wanting to let it fall off the cone, because that would just be sad. "Yummy, ice cream is my best friend."

Roy was making snickering noises and Kat lifted her head. "What's so funny?"

"You have some on your face," he informed her.

"Really, where?" Kat asked.

Roy leaned across the table and licked the spot off her face with a large smile at her reaction. "Don't worry about it…I got it," he said going back to his own ice cream.

'Dang, he's good,' Kat thought to herself as she rubbed the wetness off her burning cheek. "Colonel, you're not trying to seduce me are you?"

"Not a chance. I know you're too smart for that. Besides, Hughes would haunt me into an early grave." Kat couldn't help but laugh and he also managed a chuckle.

* * *

"Score one for Mustang," Fulman said.

"I wish I was that smooth," Breda said.

"I wish a girl would let me do that," Havoc said.

"I suddenly wish I had a girlfriend," Fury said despondently.

"There's something wrong with all of you," Elly stated bluntly.

"Hey Elly how many pictures have you taken?" Breda asked glancing down.

"Enough…I think it's high time we gave these two some privacy," Elly replied putting the camera in her pocket standing up and walking out the door.

"What, but it just started getting good," Breda pleaded.

"I ruined one date for her because I stayed the whole time…I don't plan on doing that a second time."

"*gulp* I still remember the last time she caught us," Fury said paling at the memory. "I don't think I want to go through that again."

"Good point," Fulman and Breda agreed.

"Well, if you are going, I might as well too," Havoc spoke up heading out the door with her.

They left the shop without a word…except for Breda asking for copies of the pictures….and headed back to central leaving not a trace that they had been tailing the nice couple.

* * *

"Are you finished?" Roy asked glancing up at Kat to see how she was progressing.

Kat popped the last piece of her ice cream cone in her mouth before saying, "I am now."

"Well, the sun's beginning to set. We should probably get you home."

"Alright," Kat said taking Roy's hand and allowing him to once more guide her down the street. "You know… when we were playing in the fountain, I thought I heard my brother's laugh."

"To be honest I thought I did too, he probably would be though considering how long he tried to talk me into taking you out," Roy confided with a laugh.

"He did?" Kat said in surprise.

"Yeah, nearly drove me insane with it too," Roy confirmed with a smirk in his voice. "Though, I guess I have to thank him."

'You and me both,' Kat thought with a private smile.

"After all who else was going to make you this happy," Roy added with a smirk.

Kat wanted to roll her eyes at that comment, but instead she said, "I dunno, that date I had with Havoc was pretty fun."

He froze and Kat could just imagine his head shrinking a few inches. "You didn't honestly have more fun with him than you are with me right now….did you?" he asked legitimately worried.

Kat smiled coyly before giving him a poke in the chest. "Baka," she said with a small laugh before she began walking forward once more clearly demonstrating that even without sight she was still capable of going off on her own.

Roy sighed his relief before walking quickly to catch up and make sure she didn't hurt herself. He walked her home in silence making comments that made her laugh here and there and then taking of her sunglasses gave her a peck on the cheek at her door. "Have a good night….stay safe," he said before turning to leave.

"Roy…" Kat whispered.

He looked back at her. "Yes?"

"You're shirt… is it brown?"

"No it's maro….wait Kat…can you see?" Roy asked turning around in surprise.

"It's… it's all just a blur…" Kat said softly. "But… it's not dark anymore."

He walked back to her side and gave her a big hug. "I'm glad your sight is getting better. Let me know how you're doing as your sight continues to come back."

Kat was startled for a moment, but after a few seconds she managed to overcome her shyness and embraced him back. "You'll be the first to know. I promise."

With that Roy pulled back and stroked her cheek before turning and walking down the hall. Kat smiled after him and then turned to enter her room feeling quite happy. "So how'd it go?" Elly asked sitting up from her bed and putting away the book she was reading.

"Why even ask me?" Kat replied placidly. "You were there most of the time, so you should know."

"I figured you knew we were there so I left to give you some privacy…that's what I was referring to actually. So how did your private moment go?" Elly amended.

"Well, another definition of private would be secretive, confidential, i.e., hush-hush," Kat said with a small smile before feeling her way towards her bed and sitting down.

"I wasn't asking for details…I was just wondering in general…was it good, bad, fun, stupid, want to do it again, or never want to see him again," Elly said gesturing randomly as she spoke.

"Honestly… I couldn't have asked for more," Kat said lying down with a peaceful look on her face. Elly smirked in understanding and turned out the lights before getting into bed and going to sleep.

* * *

CM: Looks like Kat and Roy are finally acting on their feelings, and even Elly is giving love a chance. With all the high running emotions will a new romance blossom or will it burn before it has a chance to bloom? Stay tuned! Please Review. ^_^


	23. Better than it Looks

**Better than it Looks**

For the next few days Kat was busy in rehab trying to get her eye sight back and calling Roy after every session. The other soldiers went to Elly more than once a day to see if she had gotten the film developed yet but could never catch her in a good mood so eventually they just quit.

When she wasn't in her room or visiting Kat, Elly was off at one of the shops trying to find something appropriate to wear to her date with Havoc as it rapidly approached. "You may want to get your eyes checked dear if you believe that those will go together," one lady said in passing as she tried to find a suitable outfit.

"Ack…I can't do this on my own. I mean I've never worn a dress before this, how am I supposed to know what goes and what doesn't," she thought angrily to herself. Finally she got up the courage to go ask Gracia for some help…as Kat was currently busy and wouldn't be able to help much…what with her eye sight and all.

When she knocked on the door to Gracia Hughes's home she was shocked to find that Lieutenant Ross was visiting as well. "Hey, is Gracia home?" Elly asked slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah she is, come on in," Ross replied gesturing toward the open hall.

"Right..."

"So what brings you here today?"

"Well I kind of agreed to go on a date to that new restaurant opening up soon and I don't have anything to wear…nor do I know what I can wear," Elly confided sheepishly.

"I see, in that case please come in," Gracia said allowing her to step into the house. "So who's the lucky man?"

"I think I know," Ross said with a clever smile. "Don't worry Elly. With our help, Lt. Havoc will never want to chase after any other girls again after he sees you."

Elly groaned wondering if going there was the right thing to do after all. "Now where to begin….I know, tell me Elly do you have any nice clothing?" Gracia asked.

"Not really, the only clothes I have are basically what you've seen me wear up until now."

"Then you need serious help," Ross told her. "Of course, dresses are rather expensive, but what kind of look are you aiming for?"

"I have no idea…I've never worn one before," Elly replied dropping her hands to her sides. "That's why I came here…I have no clue what I'm doing."

"Well, we'll just have to find a dress that's suitable for you," Gracia told her taking her gently by the arm and leading her. "I have a few dresses that might fit you."

"And if none of those work I have a few dresses of my own that you can try on. You're about the same shape as we are so it shouldn't be a problem."

"I have a shape?" Elly asked raising an eyebrow and making Ross and Gracia both do a face palm.

They went up stairs to Gracia's room where they started pulling out dresses and held them up to Elly looking them over one by one until they had compiled a few that seemed like they would work. "Alright now go try them on," Gracia commanded pointing toward the bathroom as she spoke.

Elly took the dresses and tried them on one by one, coming out each time to allow Gracia and Ross the chance to see what they looked like. Finally after a little bit of time they found a full length dress that looked absolutely gorgeous on her and Elly's dress search came to an end.

* * *

Back at Central Kat had just gotten out of her eye sessions sporting a pair of oval shaped glasses when she ran into Fury, Breda, and Fulman who were whispering to each other. "You got plenty of film, right?" Breda asked.

"Of course," Fury said holding up the camera.

"We do not want to miss anything, especially if Lieutenant Havoc decides to botch this one," Fulman told them.

"You guys never learn do you?" Kat asked them adjusting her glasses.

"What do you expect? This is supposed to be great, Elly actually said yes to Havoc," Fulman said putting his camera in his pocket.

"How much you want to bet she shows up in her usual outfit?" Fury asked.

"No…I'll bet she doesn't even show," Breda put in.

"My money's on Havoc chickening out before he even sees her," Fulman added.

"Some friends you guys are," Kat said with a small shake of her head.

"By the way Kat, how's your eyesight doing?" Fury asked her.

"Well, I'm starting to see more clearly. But I keep having to get a new prescription of glasses as my eyesight heals," Kat explained.

"That must be a pain," Breda commented.

"So is having five people spy on you while you're on a date," Kat said raising an eyebrow.

All of them thought, 'How does she know?'

"Yeah, sorry about that," Breda said scratching the back of his head.

"Guys I need your help," Havoc shouted running up to the group.

"What's up Havoc?" Fulman asked.

"Okay so I bought this bouquet for Elly and now I can't find it anywhere…could you guys help me?" Havoc asked sounding desperate.

"Not even into the date and already he's managed to screw up," Breda said shaking his head.

"Um… guys?" Kat said and they all look to see her pointing at Black Hayate who was carrying a bunch of torn up flowers in his mouth.

Havoc's jaw dropped and he looked like he was going to cry. "No! My one chance to impress her and it got chewed up by a dog!"

Kat watched him and sighed. "Here," she said handing him the get well bouquet she had been holding. "I already have more flowers than I know what to do with, so you can use these."

"Thanks Kat you're a life saver," Havoc said taking the bouquet. "Well it's almost time…wish me luck." With that he headed out the door and over to Gracia's for the big moment.

"So Kat, are you gonna come with us to watch?" Breda asked.

"Sorry, but I'm going to pass. I promised the General I would go visit him as soon as my sessions were over."

"He doesn't know, does he?" Fury asked nervously.

"That you were spying on us? I don't think so, but with him you never can tell. So take my advice and don't do it again, or I'll deal with it personally," Kat said with a cheerful smile.

"You know, I really think she's starting to grow into her title as the Ice Cold alchemist," Fulman said trying to shake off the chills that Kat managed to inspire in all of them.

* * *

He arrived a few minutes early and found that Elly wasn't done yet, so he waited outside next to his car. He spent those last few minutes pacing back and forth in anticipation and once or twice he considered running for it so that the pressure would just disappear, but he gave himself a slap and stayed put. Just before the right time, Breda, Fury, and Fulman arrived and all were surprised to see that Havoc was still there.

"Wow, so he's really going through with it," they all thought.

Finally the front door opened and their jaws dropped to the ground. Elly stood in the doorway wearing a full length dark red dress with long spider webbed sleeves and a wide neck line. Her red hair was up in a tight bun and she was wearing a little makeup, a pair of earrings and a small necklace.

"Elly," Havoc said once he got his jaw working. "You look absolutely amazing." He remembered the flowers in his hand and he cleared his throat. "These are for you," he said holding out the bouquet. "Please take them with my deepest compliments."

Elly's face turned really red but she excepted the bouquet all the same. Then with a backwards glance at Gracia and Ross she allowed herself to be helped into the waiting car as Havoc got into the driver's seat and drove off.

"Great…I didn't realize they were going in the car. Now how are we going to follow them?" Breda asked skulking.

"Well we know where they're going so why not just meet them there," Fury said starting on his way.

"Even so, we're going to miss the juicy conversation they're having in the car," Breda complained.

"Oy you three had better leave those two alone or you'll be in big trouble," Ross shouted walking up to them with a frown on her face. "You know it's rude to spy on people."

"We would never!" The three stated all at once.

* * *

"Thanks again for letting me take you to this place, Elly," Havoc told her as they rode in the car. "When Kat told me to try asking you out again, I have to admit I was a little hesitant. But now I'm glad I took her advice."

"Oh so you asked me because she told you?" Elly asked with a small grin.

"No…I was wanting to before she told me. I was just worried that you'd reject me again," Havoc answered.

"I never really rejected you…. it's just that you always seemed more like a brother figure than anything else," Elly said.

"Yeah I know," Havoc said with a smile. "You've only told me so many times. But today, I'm gonna show you that I can be more than that."

"How do you plan to do that?" Elly asked raising an eyebrow.

"By showing how much of a gentleman I can be," he answered with a sly grin. They fell into a silence as the car continued down the street.

"That outfit really does suit you," Elly said trying to break the silence.

"Thanks," Havoc said in appreciation. Then he thought fervently, 'Alright, she thinks I look good. That's a good sign, right? Of course it is!' When they arrived at the restaurant Elly was about to get out but Havoc stopped her by placing a hand on her arm. "Wait right there," he said before getting out of the car and walking around it to open the door for her and help her out.

Elly couldn't help herself, she laughed as Havoc offered her his hand to help her out. "What….is that not good to do?" he asked confused.

"No it's fine, I just never expected that of you that's all," Elly answered taking his proffered hand and getting out of the car. Havoc made sure that all the doors were locked before he lead the way into the restaurant holding the door open for her and allowing her to go in first. "Thanks," Elly told him feeling slightly embarrassed by the attention.

When they were seated, Havoc pulled out the chair for her and allowed her to sit herself down before scooting her gently in. Only after that was done did he sit himself down. "May I suggest our best whine sir," their waiter said to Havoc in a wheezy voice.

"No wine tonight, thank you," he told the waiter.

"Of course sir, of course," he said before shuffling off.

"Wow, this place is amazing. I don't think I'd ever be able to pay for a meal here….ever," Elly commented looking around the room and taking in all the high class decorations.

She had never seen a place so decorated and still so beautiful in her entire life. Havoc was watching her face with amusement as she examined everything around her including the dinner ware and table.

"I hope you don't mind," Havoc said with a small smile. "I know you're probably not use to places like this but… I guess that gave me all the more reason. A girl like you needs to be spoiled once in a while."

She blushed at this statement and tried very hard to understand what he meant by a girl like her. "Good evening, my name is Charles and I shall be your waiter for tonight. Here are your menus, is there anything you would like to drink before I get your orders or would you like to wait and order them all together?" he asked placing their menus in front of them.

"Why don't you go first Elly," Havoc said with a smile.

Elly not sure what to do opened her menu and flipped through until she found the list under beverages. Then she looked through them and decided to have a glass of lemon water. "All right one glass of lemon water for the lady, and what will you have young sir?" Charles asked writing it all down.

"I'll have some of your sparkling water, thanks," Havoc told the server. "And as far as food goes, I think I'll have the steak bisque medium well."

"Very good, sir. And for you young, lady?"

"Um…I think I'll have…." Elly started looking at all the different foods unsure of what would taste good.

"I would suggest the roast duck…it's a fine delicacy here," Charles whispered.

"No thanks I knew too many ducks," Elly answered shaking her head. "I'll have the roast stew with some cornbread."

The waiter jotted the order down before bowing to them both and then leaving them alone. The two sat in silence for a while. Though Havoc didn't mind. He was content with admiring the view before him.

Elly felt his gaze and started fidgeting with her napkin to keep her mind off things. When the waiter brought their drinks, she gratefully took hers happy to have something more to do than just sit…considering she couldn't think of anything to talk about.

"Is there anything more I can get for you, young lady?" Charles asked cutting into her thoughts.

"No everything's fine here," Elly replied with a smile. Charles walked away slowly and every once in a while she could see him peeking over at them and that only proved to make her even more preoccupied.

"You seem a little on edge there," Havoc noted, showing a hint of concern. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothings wrong….I just feel a bit out of place here that's all," Elly replied with a small smile. "Not that I don't appreciate you bringing me here but…I don't know, maybe it's because I'm notably the only Ishbalan here."

"Hey, what does it matter if you're Ishbalen or not?" Havoc said with a grin. "Though I suppose I can see your point that you would be unaccustomed to the experience. But if you ever want to go to more places like this just let me know. I'll take you out anywhere you want to go. Just name it."

"Thanks but going to places like this isn't really on my to do list," Elly replied with a smirk. "These drinks are really good though….and to be honest I'm surprised that I don't sense those three here. I figured they wouldn't miss the chance to spy on this one. Though I guess Kat probably told them off enough that they don't want to risk it."

"Whatever the reason is, I'm glad that they left us alone," Havoc replied softly. Elly's face went really red and she tried to hide it….though that only made Havoc smile even more.

Suddenly the waiter came over. "I'm sorry sir and miss, but the food may take a while. Our head chef has just had a heart attack and is now incapable of cooking."

"Wow," Havoc said glancing over at Elly who was a little shaken by the news. He thought for a moment before an idea struck him. "I'll cook," he said standing up.

Elly reached out to stop him but he was already on his way to the kitchen. She heaved a sigh and sat back down shaking her head. "Ah man, now what?" she thought.

She sat alone at her table swirling her drink in boredom until Charles came and sat down next to her. "So your date left you to save the night did he?" he asked smiling.

"Yeah, but I got to admit it is pretty cool," Elly answered with a shrug.

"Well, I couldn't help but notice you looked like you're not having such a great time," Charles said smoothly. "I get off work in a few minutes. So if you'd like, we could just leave and go some place where you're bound to have more fun."

"No thanks, I'm not the type to walk out on a date," Elly replied watching the door to the kitchen.

"Why not, I doubt your 'date' is going to come back anytime soon. Besides I doubt he'd notice if you went missing, considering he didn't seem to be paying too much attention to you," Charles told her with a wave of his hand.

"Look guy," Elly said turning to face him. "I'm only going to say this once. Don't bother me again, or you'll be the one who'll be missing."

He seemed taken aback by her coldness but picked up his charm real quick. "I'm sorry if I hit a sore spot but, I do know that there's a party going on in the park and you'd look absolutely gorgeous in the moonlight," he said moving a little closer.

Elly was just about to turn around to clobber him when Havoc burst through the kitchen door holding two platters of food that looked like he got them from the dumpster outside. He marched over to her and with a flamboyant gesture placed the plate in front of her.

"What is THAT?" Charles asked looking at the food with obvious disgust.

"I know the presentation is a little….off," Havoc said scratching the back of his head. "But I promise it'll be really good."

"I wouldn't trust it," Charles muttered to Elly. "It might very well be poisoned."

Elly had had enough of Charles, but personally had to agree with him. She looked up at Havoc and saw the expectant look on his face, making her feel guilty if she didn't try it; plus she wanted to put that guy in his place. "It….looks really good Havoc," she said trying to hide her own fear.

Picking up her fork she stabbed into the disgusting meat, moved it to her mouth and took a bite. Her eye's lit up as she tasted it and she went back for another bite. "This is delicious Havoc…I didn't know you could cook," Elly said smiling.

"You never asked," Havoc replied, positively beaming, glad that she was enjoying his cooked dish. Charles gave an angry glare before leaving in a huff. "Well, I know it's not exactly the fancy cuisine I promised you," Havoc said sitting back down with her. "But I hope you find my cooking suitable."

"It's great, but you should really try to work on the presentation. To be honest it really doesn't look all that edible but it tastes great," Elly said eating some more. "You should cook more often Havoc."

"Come over to my place any time and I'll cook you a feast," he said with a sparkle in his eye.

Elly laughed in response and continued her meal. The two continued the dinner, with Havoc entertaining Elly with some of his wild stories and once the bill was paid Havoc escorted her out to the car. There he blindfolded her telling her the place he was taking her was a surprise. When they got there, he pulled the blindfold away and allowed her to see.

Elly's mouth fell open as she saw a large park lit up with several different types of light and people running around in joy. "Where are we?" she asked in astonishment. "I didn't know that there was a place like this in central."

"You'd be surprised what you find if you just look for it," Havoc said, chuckling at her astonishment. There was soft music playing and he turned to fully face her. He then gave a half bow, offering his hand. "May I have this dance?"

She blushed a bit but took his hand with a smile and followed him to a small clearing where other couples were dancing. As soon as they started Elly half expected to have sore feet, but was pleasantly surprised that he could dance as well. "Alright where did you learn to dance? I doubt they have dancing lessons as part of basic training," she asked as he led her gracefully across the dance floor.

"What can I say?" Havoc said with a smirk. "I'm just full of surprises."

"That doesn't answer my question though," Elly said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, you've seen my luck with women first hand. And well, I figured that girls like guys who could cook, or dance. But the girls I tried to impress ended up not buying into it. Though, I can't say I regret it since it seems to be paying off now."

"You'd better watch yourself Lieutenant Havoc, if I didn't know any better I'd say you're getting a big head. That could lead to major disaster if you don't shrink it back to normal quickly," Elly told him with a smirk. "That waiter back there really didn't seem to have a huge head and he invited me to a big party tonight…maybe I should go after all."

Havoc almost fell over himself. "Wait, you're not serious are you?" Havoc said looking truly concerned that Elly might just possibly want that waiter over him.

Elly burst out laughing, "Oh come on…that guy was even more into himself than Mustang. There's no way I'd actually go with someone like that. Besides you may have a big head but you are a lot of fun…especially to mess with."

Havoc turned a little red but he smiled. After a few more dances, Havoc finally took her home and walked her to the front door. "Well, even though it'll probably be the first and the last time, I'm really glad I got a chance to go out with you, Elly," Havoc told her taking her hand in his.

Elly smiled her face flushed from the dancing as well as from him holding her hand. "I had a really fun time as well Havoc," she said smiling. "To be honest I thought the whole thing would be a flop…but you really surprised me. I'm glad I decided to say yes this time."

Havoc looked truly happy to hear this. He began to lean down but stopped himself. He straightened up and cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I've kept you from bed long enough. So, I guess I'll go now."

He turned around to leave but stopped as a hand grabbed his arm and turned him around. He only got a swift glance of red hair before he felt a pair of arms around his waist. "Thanks a lot Havoc…I really needed that," she said before letting him go and walking into her room.

Havoc stood there stunned for a moment not knowing what to think. Eventually his brain registered that he should probably get home himself. He walked back to the car, the warm feel of Elly's arms still around him.

* * *

"So how was it?" Kat asked eagerly.

"It was…nice actually. Can you believe that the cook at the restaurant actually had a heart attack? Havoc decided to take over for our meals at least. What he cooked looked like something you'd find in a garbage can….but it was really…good," Elly answered lying on her bed and thinking about her night. "I did have a few problems though…like the waiter hitting on me while Havoc was in the kitchen."

"Oh, that's not good," Kat said. "What'd you do?"

"Told him to buzz off of course," Elly replied.

"So be honest," Kat said. "Would you want to again if you could?"

"Want to what?" Elly asked.

"Go out with Havoc," Kat replied peering catlike at her from across the room.

"Um….if it was anything like tonight….maybe. I got to admit I did have a lot of fun…and he can be sweet when he wants to be." Kat stifled a giggle. "Hey now, don't go getting any ideas" Elly warned. "I said 'maybe'."

"Which is Elly speak for 'most definitely'," Kat said teasingly which received her a pillow in the face.

"So you haven't told me how your visit with Roy was," Elly said in an attempt to turn the tables.

Kat's facial expression changed so drastically Elly was almost knocked for six. "He's leaving," she said in a solemn tone.

"What, but I thought that you two were doing so well. What made him decide to leave?" Elly asked both concerned and surprised.

"He didn't give me a definite reason, but think about it," Kat said sitting up. "Edward hasn't returned since that day…"

*Flashback*

"So what was it you needed to talk about, Roy?" Kat asked him as she was making them lunch.

"I know this is sudden," Roy said from his position at the table. "But I'm giving up my position as General and going to an outpost in the mountains."

Kat nearly dropped the knife she was using to slice tomatoes. "You're right, this is a little sudden," Kat said with a small laugh, ignoring the quick stab of pain she had felt in her chest. "May I ask why?"

"I'm going to serve the state and pay for my sins in my own way," Roy replied without looking at her.

Kat smiled sadly. "I see… would you like me to come with you?"

There was a very long pause and Kat was about to ask again when Roy finally replied. "No. You need to stay here where you're needed."

"I understand." Kat wouldn't deny that she was upset at this, but she continued making lunch. "If you feel it's something you need to do, then I won't stop you."

"Thank you…for not arguing. I do need to do this and I need to do this alone," Roy said softly. Then he fell into silence and didn't speak much for the rest of the visit.

*End Flashback*

"Wow…I didn't know he still felt that bad. Do you think there's anything I can do to help out…if not him then can I help you?" Elly asked sitting on the bed next to Kat.

"Thanks but I'm fine," Kat said softly.

"Are you sure?" Elly asked looking at her friend closely.

"No…" Kat said looking at her with a forced smile as her eyes glistened with tears. "But it helps to say that I am." Elly pulled Kat into a tight hug and the two sat in silence.

* * *

CM: Wow, great chapter and I just destroyed it at the end there didn't I? But fear not, they say that true love can conquer all. How true is their love? Stay tuned to find out.


	24. A Welcome Home Party to Remember

**A Welcome Home Party to Remember**

It was a couple years later as Elly walked out the door to Central clad in an army uniform and a silver pocket watch on her belt. She was busy looking over a sheaf of papers and nearly walked into someone. "Ooops, sorry my bad. I should probably watch where…" Elly started as she looked up to see who it was that she had nearly run into.

"You can bump into me anytime," a joking voice said.

"Oh haha Havoc. I assume you're here to report in after your last mission?" Elly asked raising an eyebrow.

"What's with that tone, Elly?" Havoc said with a chuckle. "Need I remind you that I still outrank you?"

"Need I remind you that I have absolute control over whether you become single or not?" Elly said with an impish smirk.

"Haha, thanks for reminding me," Havoc laughed before giving her a small peck on the cheek. "The mission went well. We met up with Kat on the way back."

"Really? What was she doing?" Elly asked surprised.

"She was on her way to visit Mustang," Havoc replied while scratching his head. "I don't think she'll be able to do much for him though….he's still as down in the dumps as he was when he left."

Elly sighed heavily before leaning up against one of the pillars. "I'm starting to run out of ideas on how we might be able to cheer him up," she declared downheartedly.

"No need to worry, I'm sure that if Kat's visits don't do the trick then you'll definitely come up with something worth while," Havoc said ruffling her hair.

"Thanks Havoc, but I really don't think that I could do something Kat couldn't when it came to Mustang," Elly said with a small smile. He just shrugged before saying his goodbye and heading back to his office.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kat gave the wooden door a knock and waited patiently. Several seconds later the door was cracked open to reveal a single obsidian eye staring out at her. "Hey," Kat said cheerfully, holding up a basket of food. "I brought you some sweets that I made. And I also thought you could use a good meal. Mind if I come in?"

The eye closed and she could hear the sound of a huge sigh, "Alright…but I'm not having any sweets." He opened the door and let her through closing it behind her immediately. "You really don't have to spend your time with me you know," he told her as she went to the kitchen.

"I don't mind," she replied amiably as she began taking a bunch of food out of the bag and began getting out what she needed to cook. She had grown very familiar with Roy's cabin from her frequent visits. Any time she got time off, she would visit him. Every time she did he would ask her why she would waste so much time and effort to come see him. And every time she would just shake her head and call him an idiot.

He sat down next to the warm fire and waited like always for her to make the meal she had brought. He watched her from his place at the fire and a small smile appeared on his face as she made the meal. "Just like back home," he thought to himself. When she brought him his food he took it without complaint. "What's been going on back in Central?" he asked taking a bite.

"A lot of development, mostly," Kat told him, stirring her stew around inside the bowl. "Elly's finally become a state alchemist. Lior has really grown in the last few years. Everything is healing over. Well… mostly everything."

"I see…she finally bit back her pride huh?" he asked. "Lior's growing again? How are the Ishbalan's doing? I heard that they were being moved back to their old home," he asked pausing between each question and then saying them slowly.

"Thanks to you, the Ishbalans are beginning to find their place in society," Kat told him in a very relaxed manner, obviously in no more of a hurry to give information than he was to ask for it. "Most are returning to their old home, but many have found lives in other places. And there haven't been any major outbreaks of hostility. It's been very… quiet these last couple years."

"I see…I'm glad to hear their getting their lives back," Roy said softly smiling. "At least they now have the chance for a normal life." He ate his soup slowly and deliberately keeping silent all the while. They finished their meal without another word and once they were finished Kat took the dishes and washed them leaving Roy to sit in silence alone…again.

Kat cleaned the dishes by hand. She knew all about Roy not using his alchemy and she respected that. So she made a concise decision not to use her alchemy unless it was a matter of life and death. "I noticed the cabin is a little messier than usual," Kat said out loud as she began drying the dishes. When there was no answer she continued on. "Well no worries, I'll have it sparkling in no…" She was caught off by a pair of arms wrapping around her and pulling her tightly against a solid chest. She flushed, which was only natural. It had been a long time since Roy had embraced her like this. So long it was painful to think about.

"You don't have to worry about that," he whispered in her ear. "I'll do it later. You came for a visit not to clean for me." He held on to her until she agreed not to do the cleaning, then he turned her around to face him. "Why is it you waste so much time with a guy like me anyway?"

"I wouldn't call it a waste," Kat said with a forlorn smile. "Besides, if you have to ask, then there's no point in me telling you. You chose to come here and I respected that decision." She reached up gently touching his cheek, her thumb brushing lightly over the lower corner of his eye patch. "I come here because I want to. That's my decision."

Roy reached up and lightly grabbed her hand as a smile appeared upon his face. "I'm glad that you decided to make time for me in your busy schedule," he murmured happily.

Kat let out a small laugh that was barely audible. "It's not so busy without you to boss me around."

"Hmm…well at least you aren't abandoning your responsibility for my sake," he said ruffling her hair. "Now I have some things I need to do, so I believe it would be best if you went home…they'll probably need you."

"Yeah, sure." Kat walked past him to the door.

Her hand no sooner met the door knob than she heard her name spoke in a soft baritone. "Kat…" She turned back to look at him expectantly. It took Roy a moment to speak. "You need to go and find yourself a good man."

Kat merely smiled and answered, "I already have a good man. I'm just waiting for him to come home." With that she opened the door and stepped out into the snow, shutting the door behind her. The going of her presence was like a single candle in a dark room suddenly being snuffed out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Elly I need you to look into this for me," Havoc said sitting behind his desk.

"Sure thing…that shouldn't take too long. I'll be there and back in no time with good news," Elly replied with a salute before marching toward the door.

The door opened and someone crashed into Elly. "Oof! Oh, sorry about that," Kat laughed and readjusted her glasses which had been knocked askew. "Hey there Elly. Off somewhere?"

"Yep, apparently there have been several complaints about the ground moving about a mile away from here and because Major Armstrong is in Lior I'm the only other person who can look into it," Elly replied with a smirk. "Would you like to come along or do you have other things you need to do?"

"Sure, I can help you look into that," Kat assented. "I don't really have anything better to do."

As the two of them walked together out of Central building, Elly asked, "So, how was Colonel Ego?"

Kat brushed a strand of hair out of her face before answering. "It's hard to say sometimes."

"Hmm…still being a sour puss I see," Elly replied shaking her head. "Don't worry…I'm sure he'll be as good as new the moment anything happens that could be connected to Edward." By this point they had reached the area they were headed for and Elly went to work examining the ground trying to find the source of what everyone was afraid of. "Huh…that's weird," Elly muttered holding her hands to the ground.

"What is it?" Kat asked kneeling down next to her.

"The ground seems to be moving…but it has nothing to do with seismic activity or anything that would usually cause tremors," Elly explained. "What is happening here?" Suddenly the ground gave a huge shake sending Elly sprawling to the ground as an enormous crack appeared spreading halfway across the city.

Kat managed to keep herself steady bracing herself for whatever it is that was to come. Kat's eyes widened as suddenly the area became filled with metal soldiers. "What in the world?"

"Kat move it, they're soldiers like Al used to be," Elly shouted having gotten to her feet and shoved one of them over. "Everyone clear the area, you all need to evacuate and head for Central," she added to all the citizens who were watching the spectacle with awe. As she was shouting orders to the others Elly was grabbed by one of the soldiers from behind and lifted off the ground.

Kat sent an icicle right through the soldier's armor and it released Ely before crumpling to the ground in defeat. "Come Elly, we can't let these guys go roaming around," she said sending a wave of cold freezing some of the soldiers in place.

"Right," Elly replied pulling up a huge tornado that picked up the other end of soldiers and blew them into a heap at the center. "Where are these guys coming from?" she shouted as two more went down from her sand.

"Heck if I knew," Kat answered flushing some out with water. Then, as soon as they had come they suddenly stopped moving. Once Kat was sure things had settled down, she went over to Elly.

"I just don't get it, these things appear out of nowhere to attack us and then suddenly they quit moving. I don't know about you but I've got a feeling this was only the beginning," Elly muttered darkly glancing around at all the soldiers. Then a bright light appeared above the heap of defeated soldiers and began sucking them up into the sky. One by one they vanished into the light and then just as it had appeared the light was gone leaving the destruction as the only sign they were there. "Let's report this to Lieutenant Havoc… they're going to want to know what happened," Elly said wiping a trail of blood from her lip.

Kat nodded and the two went back to Central. "Wait, so you're saying these things came out of the ground?" Havoc said trying to wrap his mind around what the two girls were telling him.

"Yes, and then afterwards they were sucked up into the sky," Kat explained. "Some of them looked like what Al used to when he had that metal body."

"I don't suppose either of you know what caused it," Havoc said sitting down with a sigh.

"No, but I need to go make a phone call," Kat said before leaving the room.

"I have a theory but that's all it is at this point," Elly continued after Kat left. "From the light I saw and the way they looked I'd say that they must have come from the gate…though how they did that I have no idea."

"I see, I'll contact Major Armstrong and have him notified. In the meantime, I'd like you and Kat to keep an eye out over the city in case something like this happens again."

"Shouldn't we contact Mustang and tell him?" Elly asked.

Havoc smirked, "That's already being taken care of."

"So what are you going to do once the Major's notified? You're not going to spend all that time playing around are you?" Elly asked with a grin.

"Naw I'll make sure the rest know what's going on and take the necessary precautions in case of another attack," Havoc answered.

"Great…I'll go pick up Kat then and start our patrol," Elly answered with a salute. Then she turned on her heel and reached for the door.

Havoc watched her leave and murmured, "Be careful."

"I see, so you're saying that the gate might have opened?" Roy's voice asked over the phone.

"I'm just hypothesizing, but I have this strong feeling that's what it is," Kat told him certainly. "Maybe…it has something to do with HIM."

"I see…what steps are being taken right now?" Roy asked over the phone sounding like his old self again.

"We're contacting the others right now and Kat and I will be keeping watch over the city," Elly said jumping on the phone real fast before handing it back to Kat.

"I guess she hasn't lost that disrespect for authority," Roy muttered feeling slightly irritated. "Lieutenant I want you to be very careful while you're out there. Don't go getting yourself into more trouble than you can handle."

"Yeah, you take care of yourself too," Kat told him before hanging up the phone with a smile on her face.

"Does hearing him talk really stoke you that much?" Elly asked as Kat began nearly skipping down the hall.

"Yeah," Kat replied turning to her. "Because I know... I heard it in his voice, he's coming back."

"All right! We're going to need Colonel Ego for this one," Elly said catching up to her. "Let's go make sure that the people here are doing all right and that another attack doesn't occur." Kat nodded and the two went off to the rest of the town to begin their patrol.

It was late in the afternoon after hours of patrolling did the two decided to finally take a rest at a café. "So, I've noticed things between you and Havoc have been going very nicely lately," Kat commented sipping on a cup of coffee.

"Yeah they are….except for his tendency to goggle at other girls every once in a while," Elly answered before taking a gulp of her hot cocoa. "He's a lot of fun and he makes me feel human instead of just an Ishbalan. I hate it when people know me as 'the Ishbalan'."

"But it's gotten a lot better since King Bradley fell hasn't it?" Kat noted. "Not to mention now that you're a state alchemist people heave been treating you with a lot of respect."

"Yeah, but that makes me even more of an oddball," Elly remarked.

"So what's wrong with standing out?" Kat asked.

"I don't mind standing out….what bothers me is that I only stand out because of my nationality, not because of my skills," Elly remarked crumpling up her cup and tossing it into the trashcan. "I've got to admit though….being a state alchemist has been a lot of fun, and I've been able to do more for my people as a part of the army than just kind of helping it."

"See? It doesn't matter what other people think. You're making a difference and that's what matters." Kat said encouragingly.

"Yeah, I suppose…" Suddenly the diner began to steadily shake.

"Not again," Kat muttered.

Elly dove to the ground and tried to see just where the next attack would come from. "This time they'll be coming up pretty close to the library," Elly said standing up. "Kat I'm going to get as many people out as I can, you go alert the others to the attack."

"Got it," Kat said running out of the diner and back to Central. She didn't get far up the front stairs when she met up with Havoc, Breda, Hawkeye, and Armstrong.

"Kat? Where's Elly?" Havoc asked her.

"She's helping the pedestrians. But there's no doubt, this is the exact same earthquake that happened earlier, I'm sure of it," she told them.

"Yes, I can agree with you their. This is very similar to the one in Lior," Armstrong noted.

"We need to get prepared to defend Central if it comes to that," Kat told them all.

"Right, let's get ready to meet them head on," Armstrong said flexing his muscles. "No enemy can stand against the strategies passed down the Armstrong line for generations."

"Yes, Major we know all about your great family line," Havoc groaned but lead the way in getting everything ready for the assault.

"This is an emergency, everyone is to evacuate the immediate area and head for the safety of the bunkers," Elly shouted through a megaphone that she had created on the spot. She ran around quickly to every nearby area helping people leave as quickly as possible so they wouldn't get caught up in the impending battle.

Just as she was helping a mother with her baby daughter out their door, the earth cracked open and a large air ship burst through sending debris everywhere. "Are you alright?" she asked the woman. The mother nodded and quickly took her child away. Elly in the meantime looked to the sky in order to locate the aircraft and where it was headed.

Once they had their defense set up, the soldiers were lined up shooting at the advancing metal soldiers while Kat and Armstrong took them on using alchemy. They pulled back momentarily only to find the metal soldiers crawling down from the central building. The soldiers shot at them and many fell. Kat watched until she caught a whiff of a familiar scent in the air and she looked over. A wide grin spread across her face. "I knew you'd come back."

"It's good to be back," Roy Mustang said as way of greeting. "Fulman I want you and Fury to alert the Generals that it is time to begin deployment of our troops on a large scale. Lieutenants Havoc and Breda I need you to keep these soldiers at bay. Major Armstrong I need a way to fight from the air."

"Yes sir I'll see what I can find," Armstrong replied running off. Then all that were left were Hawkeye and Kat.

"Lt. Hawkeye, I need you to cover for me," Roy said to her.

"Yes sir," Hawkeye said with a relieved smile before pulling out her gun to face off with the metal creatures.

Then Roy turned to Kat who waited for her orders.. "I've kept you waiting a long time," Roy said softly. "I'm sorry."

Kat shook her head. "Stupid, you're here now. That's all that matters. Now let's kick some steel cans."

Roy grinned before turning and attacking the armored creatures with his fire. "Nice to see that your back Mustang," Elly shouted coming out of nowhere and blowing several soldiers away with her wind. "I was worried you'd become a boring old man all of a sudden."

"Always with the smart remarks," Roy muttered snapping his fingers and knocking several of the armor soldiers back while Kat sent controlled floods at them. She ran forward to examine one of them. She opened the head of one to see a man that was dead, even though she hadn't administered a killing blow.

"So I guess these guys must have died on the way over here," Elly muttered coming up behind her. She looked up in time to see the huge airship fire off this alchemical beam destroying an entire area. "How are we supposed to stop that thing?" Elly asked clenching her teeth.

"If Armstrong has found that air transport then that will be easily solved," Roy answered blowing another soldier away.

"In that case leave these bozos to me so you can take that thing out," Elly said taking a fighters stance.

Roy went over to Armstrong who had the balloon ready. Roy lifted up the flap and snapped his fingers, filling the balloon with hot air. He then jumped into the basket as it began to rise into the air. Hawkeye rushed to join him but Armstrong held her back.

Kat however had noticed the balloon as it was filling and managed to use her ice alchemy to boost her up enough to grab on as it rose into the air. "Lieutenant, what do you think you're doing?" Roy asked her irately as Kat was attempting to climb in so as to avoid falling back to the ground.

"Well, currently I'm trying to climb in so if you would be so kind…"

He sighed his frustration but pulled her in so that she didn't fall to the ground. "You really should have stayed behind….if you fall I won't be able to do much to help you," he said with a frown.

"We'll deal with that when and if it happens. For now though, I'm sticking by you," Kat said with a smile.

"And to think, used to I couldn't get you to stop running off," Roy noted as they watched the Elric brothers rise together on a rock platform.

"Well as long as you're up here you might as well give me a hand. We're going to give those two a hand by getting rid of those guns. You with me?" he asked holding his fingers at the ready.

"All the way," Kat responded as she braced herself.

There balloon collide with an extent the brothers made to reach the aircraft and she and Roy both jump out catching up with the Elric brothers.

"Huh? Kat and Mustang?" Ed said in surprise.

"Nice to see you again, Ed," Kat said smiling.

"Way to bring your trouble home with you Fullmetal," Roy criticized as they ran.

"What do you think you're doing up here?" Ed asked angrily.

"Saving your butt," Roy said with a smirk.

"Thanks for the help. It's great to see you again Kat…Mustang," Al said politely as a blast from the ship shook their perch.

Roy reached out his hand and blew the gun away. "We'll keep it from attacking out here while you two finish up inside," Roy commanded.

"Yes sir," Ed answered with a smirk.

Kat and Roy stood outside the aircraft blasting any artillery that managed to pop up on the airship. "It's nice to see you haven't gotten rusty," Kat observed.

"Same here," Roy said with a smirk.

There was a lot of commotion inside until finally the two brothers came out. "So what now?" Al asked his brother.

Ed snapped his hands together and put them onto the wing cutting it in half. "Brother what are you doing?" Al asked running to the edge.

"I've got to make sure the rest of these guys make it back home," Ed explained.

"But you don't have to go with them," Al pleaded.

"I need to go back to destroy the gate from that side. Al I need you to destroy the one on this side," Ed said stepping back into the plane.

"Brother you just got back. What about Winrey, she misses you too," Al shouted after him to no avail. Then just as Ed disappeared into the air craft Al jumped off their little wing trying to reach his brother.

With little time to act, Kat made a very big decision. Using her alchemy she formed a platform of water beneath Alphonse and gave him the extra push he needed to reach the air craft. Suddenly the piece of the craft they were on hit an updraft and Kat was knocked off balance. She stumbled backwards and had the heart stopping sensation of weightlessness.

Suddenly she felt her decent stop as Roy Mustang caught her hand and pulled her away from the edge hard enough to where she was pulled into his chest. "I thought I told you NOT to fall," Roy muttered. "When are you going to start following orders?"

Kat wasn't sure what was making her heart beat faster, the fact that she had just had a near death experience, or the fact that Roy had his arms around her. Whatever it was, she knew she could relax now. "Sorry," she whispered closing her eyes and resting herself against him.

They slowly floated back down to earth as the others watched the aircraft go back into the ground and through the gate. "Well it looks like it's over," Elly said sighing with relief.

"Yeah, there's no telling how much longer you would have been able to hold them off here," Havoc said putting out his cigarette.

"I could have easily lasted for another 4 hours at least," Elly said smirking.

When they reached the ground Roy released Kat and helped her down off the metal contraption. "So, I guess they're both gone," Kat said sadly.

"You didn't exactly help in keeping Alphonse here," Roy noted.

"I couldn't hold him back," Kat said with a sad smile. "I sympathized with him too much."

"I understand….he hadn't seen his brother in two years and was about to lose him a second time. You must have thought about Hughes at that point didn't you," he said softly. "You didn't want to see two siblings get separated again."

Kat nodded. Roy placed a hand on her shoulder before leading her to where everyone else was. "So, what's next Mr. Enlisted Soldier?" Havoc asked jokingly.

"You're not going to leave again are you?" Breda asked, voicing everyone's fears. Kat looked at him, waiting for his answer.

"No not this time….I'm back I've decided to help this country by doing what I can here at Central," Roy answered with a smile.

"Alright, Mustang's back and he's here to stay. That's good…I don't know what'd I do with a sad Kat a second time," Elly said smirking. "Besides now that your staying I can poke fun at you some more. I missed doing that."

Kat turned to adjust her glasses in order to hide her blush while Roy merely smirked. "Don't forget, Elly. I'm you're boss now."

"Yeah…but that's only if you become a General again," Elly reminded him with a small laugh. "Otherwise…even I outrank you."

Everyone laughed at this and even Roy took it in stride. "So, Elly," Havoc said. "After this mess is cleaned up, wanna come over to my place later tonight?"

"What for?" Elly asked raising an eyebrow. Breda, and Fury moved in a little closer to make sure they didn't miss what he was going to say.

"We can play a private game of spin the bottle," he suggested.

Elly rolled her eyes, "Come on Havoc we just had an incredible battle that disserves a celebration and you want to play spin the bottle…in private?"

"Yeah, why not?" he asked spreading out his arms.

"I say we make a bon fire and have a real party," Elly declared shoving her fist into the air.

Everyone seemed to agree with that idea and Havoc, though slightly disappointed, agreed as well. As everyone began helping in the clean up, Kat managed to find herself alone once more with Roy. "It's good to have you back, General," Kat told him truthfully.

"I'm glad to be back myself. To be honest I missed this old place….even Elly's disrespectful comments," Roy answered with a smile as he looked off into the distance. "I missed seeing you truly smile most of all, however."

Kat looked to the side so that her hair shielded her rosy cheeks. "That honey tongue of yours hasn't lost its touch either," she said with a small chuckle.

"Why thank you, I doubt I'd lose that ability even if I became stranded on an island," he said placing his hand on his chin and smiling.

Kat's shoulders began shaking as she made a choking noise. "Is something wrong?" Roy asked, a hint of concern overtaking his features. Kat couldn't hold it anymore and she burst out laughing. "What, did I say something amusing?" he asked perplexed.

"O-only slightly," she spluttered through her laughter. "Really though, I'm just happy that you're back to your old self."

A smile passed over Roy's lips as he grabbed her gently by the arms, silencing her laughter almost immediately. "You really do look nicer when you smile," Roy murmured removing her glasses so that he could clearly see the round pools of sky blue that were widened with anticipation.

"General, what…" She didn't get far into her sentence before she was swiftly silenced.

"Hey Elly mind sealing up this section? It looks like it's about to cave in," Havoc shouted from one end of the airships exit.

"Got it hang on a second," Elly shouted back finishing fixing up a few fallen buildings. As soon as she finished she rushed over to his area and sealed another hole in the ground. "Whew, this sure takes a lot of energy to do," Elly murmured standing back up and wiping the sweat off her forehead.

A few minutes later Kat came to join her looking very red but with a huge grin that gave the impression that she had just won the lottery.

"So...did you finally make up with the womanizer?" Elly asked with a big grin.

"I guess you could say that," Kat replied trying to suppress how happy she was feeling.

"Hey, there's no need to hide your excitement," Elly told her. "I mean he's been gone for a really long time. Now he's back, and hopefully he'll stay and not do anymore stupid things."

"Yeah… but still," Kat trailed off.

"The Elric brothers?" Elly guessed.

"Now both of them are stuck on the other side," Kat said as she began helping Elly clean up. "And I've been thinking, what if…"

"Oh, no, don't you even start thinking about anything crazy," Elly exclaimed. "We just finished with one nutty mission, let's not start another one just yet."

"But think of how much it would mean," Kat insisted. "To the Colonel, to Winry and Pinako. They would all be so happy."

"Yeah, but think of what we'd have to figure out to do it. It could take the rest of our lives," Elly replied. "Or it could end our lives and then where would we be."

"Uh… six feet under?"

"I'm being serious here, Kat," Elly sighed. "I...kind of want to enjoy my life now...with Havoc, and I know you want the same with Roy."

Kat stared down at the ground. "Boy, I never thought I'd hear you say those words," she laughed before giving a light sigh. "Okay, but at least… let's keep the possibility open, sound fair?"

"Fine...but for once, I don't want you to tell Roy...or anyone else about this crazy idea of yours," Elly grumbled. "I'd hate for them to get involved with this again."

"Okay," Kat agreed. "It'll be our secret."

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CM: Yay! Roy is back! But now Edward and Alphonse are gone. :( Hmm, but is it really amednable? Can they be brought back to the reality of their birthing? Well guess what? They're sure as spit gonna try! Stay tuned to see the endeavors of bring Ed and Al back!


	25. On the Wrong Side

**On the Wrong Side**

Kat moaned softly as she woke up, her head feeling like someone took a sledge hammer to it. She went to rub her head with her hand, and then she noticed that there was some unknown weight resting against her chest.

She looked down in the best of her ability and saw an arm, which happened to be attached to a shoulder, which happened to be attached to the one and only Flame Alchemist, Roy Mustang who was lying there next to her, sleeping, practically dead to the world.

Kat's eyes widened comically as her brain registered the following things in order: 1… She was in the same bed as Roy. 2….. she was devoid of any cover save for the bed sheets. 3…… the same thing applied to him. Resisting the sudden urge to scream and completely freak out, Kat gently moved Roy's arm, trying her best not to wake him up, and then he decided that he liked her as a cuddle buddy and pulled her flush up against his exposed body under the blankets the two were under and burying his face in her neck forcing her to turn as red as a tomato. He was still asleep, so she figured it just to be a reflex or something with him pulling her up against him like some kind of pillow.

Kat gulped and after a few amazing and seemingly impossible twists, bends, and other moves that need lots of flexibility, she was free! But…she couldn't find her clothes! "Dangit!" she whispered harshly to herself, pulling a sheet off the bed and wrapping it around herself. She sighed as she looked around the room, trying to find her clothes, but failing miserably.

"Good morning sunshine," a soft voice came from the bed startling Kat. Roy was sitting up in the bed looking at her with confusion. "Is there something wrong?" he asked quietly.

Kat slowly turned to look at him and then immediately wished she hadn't. She couldn't keep her eyes from gobbling up the sight of his chest. She forced herself to look elsewhere. "Um… where am I?"

"I figured you'd know the answer to that after having me for a husband for 7 years," he said with a smirk.

"S-seven years?" Kat stuttered, almost dropping the sheet covering her. "How is that possible?"

"I know what you mean, hard to believe it's been that long. But you know what they say. Time flies when you're having fun."

"Who ARE you?" Kat asked him. He sounded like Roy, he certainly looked like Roy, and yet, something was different.

He raised an eyebrow trying to figure out what she was talking about and then his eyes lit up with comprehension. "Oh I get it, you're role playing again. You should have just told me, it's not easy getting into it right after I wake up."

"Huh?" Kat said not comprehending what he was talking about.

"Oooh you're good at this. Alright then I'll play it your way. 'clears throat' I am Lieutenant Roy Mustang of the Munich Fire Brigade and I've kidnapped you and brought you here to make you mine," he said puffing out his chest and putting on a macho voice.

'Look away… Look away. LOOK AWAY,' Kat's mind screamed over and over again. She didn't think she could take much more of this. Suddenly her vision swam before her and she heard a voice in her head. 'Who are you? What's going on?' She teetered a bit feeling as though she might faint.

Suddenly Roy was by her side holding her upright, "Are you feeling okay? You don't look so good…I think you should lie back down before you hurt yourself."

"No, I'm fine…honey," Kat murmured, managing to clear her head avoiding looking down at all costs. She was slowly beginning to realize that she was in another person's body, living their life. How, she wasn't sure. But for now it was best just to play the part until she found Elly again.

"Well, perhaps some breakfast will help clear your head a little," Roy suggested.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Kat said as she straightened up. "What would you like for breakfast?"

In one quick movement Roy was on top of her with both hands pinned on either side of her head, grinning down at her. "You." Stare…..stare……stare….. WHACK! Kat managed to grab a pillow and smack Roy across the face with it before taking her blanket and running to the bathroom and locking herself inside. "Well, that's new," Roy said blinking in confusion.

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An hour later the two managed to leave their room in order to get breakfast. On the way Kat heard a soft tired voice from behind her. "Mommy…I'm hungry. What's for breakfast?" a little girl who looked like a calmer version of herself asked.

"I know let's have eggs…or French toast," a little boy said running out of his room excited and ready for the day. He looked like a hyperactive miniature version of Roy.

'They're so cute,' Kat said with little hearts bubbling from her. 'But wait, did she just call me… mommy?'

"Now now, Troy, Calli," Roy said ruffling both of their heads. "You're mother is feeling a little off this morning so we're going out to eat. Are you both ready for school?"

"Yep I'm ready. I can't wait to get there and show my friends what Mom helped me make last night," Troy said with lots of enthusiasm.

"I guess I'm ready…I'm scared of how I did on that test though," Calli exclaimed sadly.

"They're so beautiful," Kat thought. Now she could understand the love and pride that her brother had for his daughter.

Roy noticed Kat's expression and he told the kids to go ahead and go to the car before going over to her and rubbing his hand up and down her back. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"Fine… everything is just fine," Kat said with a smile.

"Alright, but if you start feeling not right you'll tell me right?" Roy asked giving her a hug. "I'm worried about you."

Kat swallowed and she half hugged him back. "Of course, but don't worry. I'm a tough nut to crack."

"Don't I know it," Roy smirked giving her neck a playful nip before taking her hand and leading her out to the car where the starving kids were waiting.

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There was a loud thud as Elly slid off her bed waking up as her body landed on the floor. She sat up and looked for her alarm clock which she just couldn't find so she stood up, stretched and walked out her bedroom door heading for the kitchen. "Morning sleepyhead, you've been out a long time. Did the two of you really stay up that late?" a familiar voice asked her.

"Yeah we stayed out a lot longer than I thought," she mumbled without looking and scratched the back of her head.

"You feeling all right?" a female voice asked nearby.

"Yeah…though my head does feel like a truck ran over it," Elly answered with a small laugh.

"That's not good who was driving?" a male playful voice asked. This time she looked up and was shocked to see Kimbley standing in front of her with playful concern on his face.

"Um…no one was," Elly answered completely shocked.

Then to her surprise he walked up, pulled her close and pecked her on the lips, "Well at least you aren't damaged," he replied with a smile before walking past her.

Elly was so stunned that she might as well have been a statue for all the life she showed. Her brain was registering too many emotions at once, shock, horror, happiness, anger, and utter confusion. Was this all just a dream? "Elly, you're pale, a deeper voice told her and she felt two strong hands on her shoulders.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost," the female voice said.

She spun around quickly and saw her older brother and Solaris standing there concerned. "B-brother….is that really you?" Elly choked out tears coming to her eyes.

"Of course it's me…who did you think I was?" Scar asked raising an eyebrow.

"Oh dear I guess she hit her head harder than we thought. She must have lost some of her memory," Solaris said while placing a hand on Elly's forehead.

"Huh? Hit my head?" Elly said in confusion.

"Yes, in the middle of your tight rope act you just suddenly fell. Thankfully nothing was broken but… we were all concerned. I know Kimbley especially was worried about you."

"Why would he be worried about me?" Elly asked.

The woman gave a small chuckle. "Well, he is your performance partner, and boyfriend."

Elly's mouth fell open and she sat there stunned for several minutes. "Wait….so Kimbley's my boyfriend….you two are my brother and sister….and I'm a tight rope walker?" she managed to get out with her eyes bulging.

Solaris looked up at Scar and they both exchanged worried looks. "Perhaps she needs to stay in bed a little longer," Solaris suggested. "She shouldn't be moving around while she's like this."

Scar nodded. "You're right, I'll go find a doctor. Perhaps we should have Kimbley help look after her and that might jog her memory a bit…"

Elly put her hands into the air in protest. "No I'm fine, really," Elly said hastily.

Suddenly her head began to swim and their faces went in and out of focus. "Who are you and what do you want with me?" a voice asked in her head.

"Huh? Who are you?"

"This is my body so I'm asking the questions," the voice answered angrily.

"Hold on, my name is Elly but I don't…"

"Your name is Elly? That's what my name is…this is completely impossible."

"Look, help me get out of this mess and I'll explain to you what I know," Elly told her quickly.

"Deal."

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"Daddy, is mommy gonna be okay?" Troy asked after Kat had finished her third cup of coffee.

Kat had been enduring the shouts and cursing of her other self for a while now. "Get the hell out!"

"I already told you I don't know how," Kat thought wearily.

"I'm sure she's just fine Troy," Roy replied his arm around Kat's shoulder. He watched her with worry in his eyes seeing jut how tired she was already. "Kate you have to go to work tomorrow…would you like to lie down so you're well rested for then?"

"Look, just work with me until I figure this out, okay? I'm not enjoying this anymore than you," Kat thought to herself. She had already explained that she was from a different world than this one where she was also known as Kathleen.

"…Fine. But I swear if you do anything to screw up what I've worked for I'll make sure you don't live long to see it."

"Okay… so where do you work?"

"I'm a doctor at the hospital," Kate answered.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, and I worked damn hard for it too."

"Gotcha… so what would your normal response be?" Kat looked over at Roy. "Haven't I told you not to worry so much about me? I'm not some damsel in distress."

"I know you're not…but you're not acting like yourself and the kids and I are getting worried about you," Roy replied quickly. "I love you and I really don't want to see you in such pain."

As if to emphasize his point Calli placed her hand on Kate's shirt and looked up with scared eyes. "Mommy….do you have a bug in your tummy?"

'She's so cute,' Kat thought fighting the urge to squeeze the girl in a breathtaking hug.

'She gets it all from her father,' Kate thought with a sigh.

'Are you always so cold?' Kat asked.

'If I'm not then I'll only be treated like every other pushover woman in this city. I refuse to be anyone's doormat,' Kate asserted.

'…' Kat smiled down at Calli and gave her what she thought was a motherly pat on the head. "No sweetie, mommy's just got a lot on her mind right now." Roy stared at her in surprise. Kat surmised that Kate wasn't one for PDAs of any sort, even with her children.

"Okay," Calli replied with a big smile on her face.

"Calli why don't you go play with Troy for a bit…daddy needs to talk with mommy alone okay," Roy told her sweetly. Calli nodded and ran off giggling to look for her brother.

Once the two of them were alone, Roy repositioned himself so that he was looking directly at Kat. There was a staring contest for a while and Kat almost looked away but Kate shouted at her not to be so weak and stare the man down. "Yes?" Kat asked him after what felt like several minutes had passed.

"I know you don't like me worrying about you but there something different and I want to know why," Roy began slowly. "You never show them that much affection…and with that last comment I'm sure you're going to start confusing them, I don't want that."

Kat was about to apologize but Kate told her apologizing was the last thing she would do. "What do you want me to say? Is there something wrong with me being nice to my own daughter? She's my kid too, you know." Kat didn't want to say such harsh things to Roy, but Kate assured her that it was the only way for Roy to think that everything was normal.

"Look everything's fine…I just did that to get her off my back for now," Kat told Roy, every word hurting her inside.

"I see…so I guess I'll leave you to yourself then," Roy replied with a little bit of hurt in his eyes. He stood up without meeting her eyes and left the room, probably to find his children.

Kat watched him go with an aching heart. "He'll be fine," Kate assured her. "He's always like that." This did nothing to sooth Kat's guilt.

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"You sure you're okay?" Kimbley asked concerned. "You must have hit your head harder than I thought if you don't remember your way around the camp."

"I'm fine….no worries. I just…um," Elly tried to convey to him that nothing was wrong and was feeling very strange about it.

"Um…maybe you should tell him you're still not feeling well?" the voice said in her head.

"You sure Elinora? I'm not quite sure what's going on here just yet and I was hoping he could explain things to me," Elly thought quickly.

"I guess you could…I mean you kind of are in control," Elinora replied sadly.

"Oh brother….look this is your life. Do you want me to tell him that or not?" Elly asked exasperatedly.

"Um…it might give us a chance to talk a bit," Elinora conceded.

"Okay then," Elly thought decidedly. "Um…Kimbley…my head throbbing a bit…maybe I SHOULD go lie down," she mumbled out loud.

"You think you're going to be ready for the show tomorrow night?" Kimbley asked her.

"Wait, there's a show tomorrow?" Elly thought in despair.

"Yep," Elinora replied. "We have a show at least two or three times a week."

"You have got to be kidding... and what's your performance?"

"Tightrope acrobatics," she said happily.

"Oh great," Elly thought.

"Elinora?" Kimbley asked again.

"Yeah?" Elly asked holding a hand to her head.

"Um….maybe you should take a break," Kimbley said putting an arm around her shoulder and walking her back to her brother's tent.

"Okay," Elly said legitimately feeling sick to her stomach. She allowed him to lead her to her bed and only after lying down and muttering a goodbye to Kimbley did she mutter to herself, "Why me?"

"Don't worry, just rest and I'm sure you'll feel better in no time," Kimbley told her giving her a kiss on the temple before leaving the tent.

Elly's cheeks were flushed red. "So… he's your boyfriend."

"Yes… is there a problem?"

"Not so much of a problem as an inconvenience. You see…" And Elly explained that she came from another world where people look the same but they acted differently.

"Okay….so in your world you're dating Jean Havok and Kimbley killed your brother?" Elinora asked.

"Yeah…it's because of that that this feels so bizarre," Elly expressed.

"Well there's a Havok here too," Elinora told her uncertainly.

"Really?"

"Yeah…but I don't think…"

"Great where is he?"

"Um…Elly?" Suddenly there was a loud crash and somebody screamed right outside their tent. "What was that?" Elly demanded sitting up fast and looking toward their door.

"It sounds like another raid," Elinora said sounding frightened.

Elly stepped outside the tent and saw to her horror a group of men going through the camp and trashing the place. "What are you doing!" she shouted at them.

"No… Elly, don't," Elinora told her.

"They have no right to do this," Elly thought fuming.

"That's just how it is here," Elinora said sadly.

"Yeah, but…" Elly stopped when she spotted to her immense relief, Havoc standing off at a distance, watching the scene with a grim expression.

A smile spread across Elly's face and she started making her way toward Havoc. "Elly I really don't think you want to…." Elinora started.

"It's Havoc…this is perfect. He'll help put a stop to this I know it," Elly thought joy spreading through her body. When she reached him glanced down at her and a look of disgust filled his features.

"What do you want, gypsy?" he asked disdainfully. Elly was nearly knocked for six. Never in all the time she knew the man did she ever hear him speak like that to anyone, let alone her.

"Havoc… it's me, Elly."

"I don't know how you know my name, but I certainly couldn't care less what yours is," Havoc said stepping away from her. "Now get away from me or I'll report you to the authorities."

"Havoc… what…?" Elly began, feeling her heart contract in pain from his words.

"Elly… he's a gypsy hater. He loathes us," Elinora told her delicately.

"He's a what?" Elly thought feeling her eyes fill up with tears.

Elinora repeated what she said but Elly barely heard her, she was still staring at Havoc hoping against hope that she had heard him wrong. Another shout behind her brought her back to her senses and she turned to do what she could to help stop the chaos.

At the moment all the women were trying to escape the disaster while the male gypsies were attempting to fight off the men. Elly saw her brother protecting Solaris and rushed to help him, but two men blocked her way.

"Heh, this one's young but whoo….she's sure got a body," the tall bulky one said with an evil grin.

"Yeah…maybe we should take this one…I doubt she'll put up much of a fight," the smaller blonde haired man said with a snicker.

"Elly run," Elinora said worriedly.

"I can take these guys easily," Elly thought drawing a circle on her hand behind her back. Elinora protested but the moment the circle was finished Elly started pushing her energy into it: but nothing happened.

"Crap… there's no alchemy in this world," Elly cursed.

"What are you doing?" Elinora shouted in panic. "If these guys catch you…"

Elly's distraction had given the two men enough time to grab a firm hold on her. "I never thought we'd get this lucky," one of them chuckled.

Suddenly there was a loud cracking noise and one of the men crumbled. Elly looked to see Kimbley holding half of a splintered two by four. Taking advantage of the second assaulter's surprise, he swung the shaft of wood, striking the man across the face. "Keep your hands off my girl," Kimbley stated with vindication.

"Kimbley," Elly breathed relieved to see him, much to her surprise.

"Elinora, I want you to stay by me. Don't leave my side okay," Kimbley said pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Okay," Elly said finally listening to Elinora's whisperings.

"Elly…we can't stand up to them on our own. We need my brother and Kimbley to help us," Elinora said in a quaking voice.

"I know how to fight Elinora…the problem is that I've gotten so used to using alchemy in my world that I forgot you can't here," Elly explained quickly. "If something like this happens again I'll make sure that I don't fail."

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The next day, Kat was at a loss for what to do. Kate obviously had a set life that she didn't want changed/ruined. When Roy showed her affection she was supposed to 'keep her cool', a feat that Kat found nearly impossible. And she wasn't supposed to be too nice to her children for fear of them growing 'too soft'. Kat just wanted to find Elly and the Elric brothers and go home to her own life, but she didn't even know where to begin looking and Kate had work at the clinic.

"We got a new patient who has Tuberculosis," one of the doctors said reading off a clipboard. "And one who is suffering from gangrene on his leg which must be amputated."

"I know…why don't we have miss Kate take the amputation…I know just how much she enjoys taking on the more difficult cases," another doctor said with a chuckle.

"Very well…you will take the Tuberculosis case then."

"Certainly. HEY KATE….you got a new case."

"What's WITH these guys?" Kat wondered.

"They're all chauvinistic bastards who think that a woman doesn't belong in the medical field. But they can't get rid of me because they KNOW I'm too good to lose," Kate thought bitterly.

"Wow, this world must be tougher than I thought."

"You have no idea. That's why I vowed to myself that I would never be ruled by ANY man, not even my own husband."

"Still though…" she started to get nauseous when the doctors said she would be given the amputation operation.

"You're a soldier and you can't even stand the sight of blood?" Kate thought incredulously. "What kind of officer are you?"

"A peace loving one," Kat thought weakly. "Plus I have no idea how to do surgery."

"Get a hold of yourself! If you show any weakness here these doctors will leap on you like vulture," Kate snapped. "Just keep your breakfast down and I'll walk you through it step by step."

"Sure thing…" Kat thought. She took the clipboard from her associate with thanks and was about to try to locate the room in question when she saw, to her immense surprise, her brother walking down the hall towards her. "Bro?" she whispered in amazement and her heart burst with joy. "Oh great, what the hell is he doing here?" Kate thought but Kat wasn't even listening. She rushed forward. "Big bro, you're alright!"

"Oh so you're talking to me now? I figured I was too chauvinistic to even be considered by you," Hues replied sharply.

"W-well y-you're my brother….aren't you?" Kat stuttered, utterly surprised.

"Yes…but since when have you cared about that? I thought that you were too independent to have anything to do with your family…especially when you married that easy going Roy Mustang."

"I'll show you easy going you…" Kate started but another voice interrupted.

"Oh, Maes is this a friend of yours?" Kat turned and saw a smiling Gracia.

"Gracia, you're here too?"

"Yes… but how do you know my name miss?" she asked in confusion.

"Um… medical records," Kat said quickly.

"Oh that makes sense," Gracia said with a smile. "How do you know Maes though?"

"Well he's my…" Kat began.

"She's my main doctor," Hues quickly interjected. "She's the one who usually gives me my checkups."

"Oh that's nice….well it's nice to meet you miss," Gracia said with a warm smile.

"Yes indeed…now let's get you home Gracia," Hues muttered quickly moving Gracia away from Kat. "Go wait around the corner and I'll be there soon." As soon as Gracia was around the corner Hues turned to Kat. "Look she doesn't know that I have a sister and I really don't want you to mess this up for me. So I need you to avoid her as much as possible alright."

Kat was hit hard by his words. "Bro…"

"And would you stop calling me that?" Maes hissed. "You stopped being my sister the moment you walked out that door and left the family for that degenerate."

"Roy is not a degenerate," Kat said started to get a little irritated. And for once Kate agreed with her. "And you'll always be my brother whether you like it or not."

Hughes stood there fighting with himself as a voice called out cutting through his thought. "Oy, Kate, you're supposed to be in surgery right now. What are you doing?"

"Oh right," Kat muttered looking at Hughes one more time.

"Your job awaits you as my wife awaits me. After this moment…I'll probably never see you again. So have a good life….I hope you're happy with what you ended up with," Hughes said before turning around and going after Gracia.

"Kate the guys leg is only going to get worse the longer you wait…or would you rather have us men take care of it for you," the doctor called out pulling Kat back to reality as she stared off after the retreating back of her brother.

"I can take care of it just fine," Kat said in defiance getting down to earth and heading to the medical room. She had dealt with chauvinists before and wasn't going to let them think of her as inferior to them. She stopped short outside the designated room, took a deep breath, and went inside.

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That night Elly found herself walking down a dark alleyway alone as she had been training in secret for her upcoming performance. Unfortunately she had stayed longer than expected and was now trying to get back to camp as soon as possible without running into anyone unpleasant. As she was coming around the last corner before reaching her camp she spotted a familiar blonde figure in the midst of three other men in poor looking clothing who were all holding a weapon.

"Havoc," Elly whispered to herself.

"Elly he won't care either way and there's three of them…how can you do anything?" Elinora asked frightened.

"Well I'm not about to just sit back and let him get mugged," Elly declared. "Good thing I practiced my hand to hand in a dress….I'm pretty sure that they won't stand a chance." With that she left her hiding place and jumped into action.

She managed to take out the first one by surprised and gave him a swift chop in the base of the neck. The second one turned in time to get a palm thrust right in the nose. There was a cracking noise followed by the man's scream as he clutched at the broken nose blood poured down his face. She used that distraction to sock him good in the gut, completely winding him. The third one was alert and ready for her.

Elly turned and faced off against the third one refusing to give him an opening. She had a smirk on her face at the surprise and anger that was shining through his eyes. "You messed with the wrong guys, gypsy. Now you're going to wish you had stayed in your hiding place," the man hissed brandishing his knife.

Elly didn't respond but she kept her eye on the knife ready for his inevitable attack. Moments later he dove at her driving the knife toward her stomach. Elly waited until the last possible moment before spinning to her right, grabbing onto his wrist and driving her knee into his gut. He bent over in pain and then collapsed to the ground as Elly followed up with a hammer blow to his back.

She looked up at Havoc who was staring, dumbfounded. "You alright?" She asked him.

He shook his head taking a step back. "You… you're not normal."

"No duh, the girls you're used to will fall down to anything a guy says," Elly said with a small roll of her eyes.

"Geez, it's another Kate," he muttered.

"What was that?" Elly asked.

"Nothing," Havoc said quickly and attempted to leave but Elly ran in front of him.

"No, wait. What did you say?"

"I said you act almost as badly as Kate does," he snapped.

"Who's Kate?"

"Why does it matter?"

"I'm looking for my friend, Kat…" Elly began.

"Well, I don't know anyone who associates with gypsies so if you'll excuse me," and he walked past her once more, obviously wanting to leave.

"Elly please let it go," Elinora pleaded but Elly wasn't through yet.

Reaching forward she grabbed onto Havoc's wrist making him spin around again. "What do you want?" he demanded angrily.

"Wow I've never seen him get mad like that," Elly thought sadly. "I….I just wanted to see if you were okay or if those thugs hurt you at all," she said quickly.

Havoc glared at her before marching away in a very angry manner. Just before he reached the end of the alleyway he stopped and muttered softly, "I'm not hurt…thanks."

Elly's face broke out into a grin. "I can't believe you got him to say 'thanks'," Elinora thought in amazement.

"Well, he'd have to be a complete jerk not to," Elly thought back.

"Let's just go home, before those men wake up," Elinora said dismally.

"Good idea," Elly thought and quickly headed back to the camp.

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"Come on."

"I don't wanna."

"Just do it!"

"I can't!"

"You're a shame to the medical field."

"Which is exactly why I didn't go into it." Kat was battling with Kate while she stared at the syringe she was supposed to be drawing blood with in absolute despair. She HATED needles, almost as much as she hated blood.

"It won't take more than a few seconds if you just do it," Kate said quickly. "Just put it in there, pull out the blood and then you're done."

"I already told you I ca…" Kat started to dispute.

"Kate…you're not going to like this but we've got a new patient that you may want to see," a doctor shouted crashing through the door to the room. He was a young doctor who had only joined up about a week before that and his baby face was twisted with worry. To Kat, he looked just like Kain Fury from her world. "I know you're in the middle of something but I'm sure you'll want to know about this."

"Who…?" Kat began.

"That's Artie, my assistant. He joined up recently. Though he's not the best in the field, which is probably why they put him under my supervision. But he's an okay kid."

"You sound rather attached to him," Kat thought slyly. "You're not as hard as you put off are you?"

"Shut it."

"Alright, Artie. Just take a deep breath," Kat said though she herself was heaving relief at not having to do a blood draw. "What's happened?"

"I don't think you'll believe me unless you see it yourself," Artie answered shaking his head.

"Artie just tell me," Kat said kindly.

"Okay…well…a firefighter was just brought in with a busted shoulder and third degree burns. It's…Roy Mustang…Kate."

For once, Kat's head was completely silent. She started at the young assistant in shock. But thanks to her military experience she was quick to recover. "Artie, I need to tell doctor Van to take over this patient's blood draw. I'll attend to Ro… to the injured firefighter."

"Yes ma'am," Artie said quickly before running out the door to look for Dr. Van. In the meantime Kat headed for the area where they treat burns. Upon entering the room she found two other doctors standing over a heavy breathing Roy who had a white cream on his dark red shoulder that covered the somewhat visible blisters.

"The damn idiot," Kate hissed inside her head. Kat could feel that she was angry, but also worry stricken.

"Kate, you shouldn't be here," one of the doctors told her seeing her standing there.

Kat looked up at him, frowning. "I work here, do I not? I have every right to be here. Now stand aside and let me do my job."

They glanced at each other for a moment before stepping back and allowing Kate to get into position. She noticed that Roy was unconscious, probably because of the hit to his shoulder and dehydration from the fire so she gave the order for the other doctors to get some wet cloths to help him get hydrated.

Then she placed her hands on either side of his shoulder and after finding where the break occurred she set it back in place. Next she held the shoulder in place while some plant fluid was rubbed all over his shoulder. Then she carefully wrapped his shoulder and put it in a handmade sling to keep his shoulder from moving too much.

All this took several hours, but once Kat was finished, Roy was patched up and, as far as she knew, resting soundly and comfortably. "Impressive, how you managed to keep your head despite the fact he's your husband," one of the doctor's said. "Most women would have gone into hysterics."

"I can finish up here," Kat told them in clipped tones. She was really starting to get into Kate's act, granted she wasn't AS aggressive. "You two can go attend to any businesses you might have granted your testosterone level doesn't impede your abilities to do so."

They glared at her but left anyway feeling that they'd get fired if they tried to make her pay for it. Kat ignored their glare and sat down next to Roy's bed and held onto his hand. "I can't believe this happened," Kat whispered sadly.

"He's such an idiot…he really shouldn't have done anything to get himself hurt like this," Kate muttered in Kat's ear.

"Um… Mrs. Kate?" Kat looked up to see Artie standing timidly in the doorway. "I'm sorry but… the school called about your children. No one has come to pick them up."

"Damn," Kate muttered, as she remembered. "Tell him to contact Leo and have him pick them up."

"Can you call Leo for me please?" Kat asked Artie without any pretense, feeling that Kate knew what she was doing.

Artie nodded. "Of course, right away ma'am. I'll let you get back to, uh… I'll just go."

Kat watched him leave with a smile. "He's so sweet."

"He does have his moments," Kate admitted grudgingly. A low groan sounded loudly in the silent room and Kat turned her attention to the man in the bed who was moving his head from side to side. Moments later his eyes flickered open and he looked over at Kat sitting next to him.

"How are you feeling?" Kat asked him quietly, as if afraid that speaking too loudly would injure him in some way.

He thought for a moment before saying, "I feel like a building fell on top of me."

Kat stared at him. "You're not serious are you?" He didn't answer. He looked rather uncomfortable. "What happened?" Kate and Kat demanded at once.

"There was a building fire. A kid got stuck and I was carrying him out. When the building collapsed. I managed to make it out the door but some timber caught me at the last minute. Luckily, the kid was fine." Kat stared at him in wonderment.

"Tell him he's such an idiot and should have been more careful," Kate ordered Kat.

"You idiot you should have been more careful," Kat repeated out loud.

"I was being careful, if I hadn't grabbed the kid I wouldn't have been hit…the kid would have instead," Roy told her seriously.

Kat shook her head in disbelief. She had remembered a time when HER Roy had pulled a kid out of a burning building, and the kid hadn't even been alive. That was how he ended up with the terrible injury that left him half blind. Kat stood up taking several deep breaths as she put a hand to her head. "You really are unbelievable," she murmured. She had meant it as a compliment but apparently Roy took it the wrong way.

"I wasn't going to leave the kid Kate, it would have felt like leaving our own son in there," Roy replied with a touch of frustration.

"That's not what I meant," Kat began but Roy interrupted her.

"Look I want this to continue to work; I don't want my children to grow up without a mother. But with the way you keep treating them like they're less important than the people you take care of here. I'm tired of trying to cheer up the children when their mommy ignores their gifts like they're only a hassle. If this keeps up I might just leave you alone so that we won't bother you any longer."

Kat felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. She wasn't the only one. Kate was also shocked into silence. But not for long. "That ungrateful lowlife!" Kate practically shrieked. "I work hard to pay bills and make a good living so that he and my kids can eat good food and have a good home! Fine then, tell him he can leave if he wants."

Kat, however, was deaf to her ranting. "No," Kat told him, almost choking on her voice. "No. Don't you ever tell me something like that ever. What makes you think you're a bother to me?"

"The fact that you never accept help nor do you ever act like we're married. We have our nights but even those have it where you are in control. Sometimes I feel like I've become the woman of the house."

Kat was at a loss for what to say. Did Kate not realize how good she had it? How much Kat envied her? And she was willing to throw it all away? No. She wouldn't let that happen. She sat down in the chair by his bed once more and took a deep steadying breath. "Look… I know I've been selfish and I've said some terrible things to you. I guess I just never realized just how lucky I am, that I have a husband, two beautiful children, and a brother I know is alive and safe, even if he does despise me. And you're right, you and the children should be more important than anything else."

She didn't want Roy, no matter what world he was from, to think that she didn't care about him. Even though she knew he wasn't HER Roy, she couldn't help but still care deeply for him. "So please, don't leave me. I need you. I love you and the children more than anything." Kat hadn't realized it but she was crying, partly because of her emotions, and partly because her head felt like it was being pulled apart from the inside.

Roy stared at her in surprise and a smile spread across his face. Leaning forward he pulled Kat into a one armed hug. "I never thought I'd ever hear you say that. I finally see the woman I fell in love with all those years ago," he whispered into her ear.

Kat marveled at just how much like her Roy this Roy was. He even smelled the same, a mixture of smoke and cologne. She couldn't help but melt in his arms as she heard his voice in her ear and his breath on her skin. Kate could feel everything that Kat felt and her yelling died out in almost an instant. "Have I…. really changed that much?" She thought quietly.

"You have no idea how lucky you are, how much I wish I had what you have," Kat thought. She let out a shuddering sob at the thought.

Roy heard her sob and pulled back enough to see her face and then reached up and brushed a tear from her eye. "Kate dear…what's wrong?"

"I almost hate myself for how lucky I am to have you," Kat said sadly.

"I love you Kate. I don't want you to feel hatred for yourself because of a choice you made. It's not a mistake until you refuse to fix what was ruined."

"Roy…" Both Kat and Kate thought. "Don't say ruined. I'll do anything I can to fix what was damaged."

"I'll hold you to that," Roy said before lowering his lips onto hers and kissing her passionately. Kat was taken by surprise but shock soon turned to infatuation Kat almost lost all coherent thought then and there, but she remembered….With great difficulty she pulled away from him.

"You need to get your sleep so you can recover quicker," Kat said quickly. "Maybe when you get better we can all go out for some much needed fun."

"I'll have to heal quickly then won't I," Roy said smiling. "Get back to your job and I'll make sure to get my sleep." He lay back down and whispered, "I love you…very much."

Kat smiled at him in response before standing up. She was about to leave but… "Wait," Kate said. "Let me… let me kiss him one more time."

Kat closed her eyes. "You do realize this is torture for me. I don't think I can keep up my self control forever."

"Please. I know it's selfish of me to ask but… just once more."

"…Okay," Kat consented.

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CM: Okay, now I know what you all are probably thinking. How the heck did they manage to land themselves in THIS situation? Well, trust me, you're gonna find out, next time on FMA Arctic Wind! So stay tuned! ^_^


	26. IMPORTANT NOTICE

CM: Hello everyone. I am sorry to say that there won't be an update with my stories for a while. My co author Shippoman is currently busy getting moved and preparing for her wedding, and I am busy having to relocate due to family issues of the worst kind. So once more, I am sorry, but I don't know how long it's going to be until we are able to update. You all have been wonderful and have given great and inspiring reviews, and i hope that you'll wait until we're able to start posting again. Thanks y'all!


	27. A Whole Different Life

**A Whole Different Life**

"I can't believe they've been out for four days already," a blonde man in a soldier uniform wined looking at the red head lying in a hospital bed.

"I don't want to hear it Havoc," the dark haired man sitting on the opposite side of the room muttered as he glanced down at the dark haired girl in the other bed.

"I'll never see her smile ever again," Havoc continued.

"Havoc…" the dark haired man warned threateningly.

"Oh Elly….please come back to me," Havoc shouted distraughtly.

"Havoc if you really feel like that I can end your misery right now," the dark haired man muttered holding up his right hand in a snapping position.

"Sorry General Mustang…I just…don't want her to leave me alone," Havoc said sadly.

"And that would be different from any other woman in your life how?" Roy asked with grimace.

"Because she actually cared about me," he wailed.

"Look Havoc, despite what you may think, I doubt that hovering over her like that is going to wake her up," Roy said with a hint of impatience. He had to deal with this man's constant bemoaning ever since the incident. "I wonder if this punishment…" they both thought secretly.

FLASHBACK!

Havoc was busy working in his office when the door slammed open causing him to jump and sending a pile of papers landing on the floor in a heap.

"HAVOC, WHAT'S THIS I HEAR ABOUT YOU FLIRTING WITH SOME NURSE?" an angry red head shouted marching into the room.

"Oh Elly…you must be mistaking," Havoc stuttered holding up his hands in defense.

"Havoc, are you ever going to start taking this relationship seriously? You're my boyfriend that means you're not supposed to go after every pretty face you see," Elly muttered taking a deep steadying breath. "I swear you're almost as bad as Mustang…except he actually gets the girls…sorry," she added quickly upon his broken expression.

"Come on, Elly… Okay I admit I fool around a little but it doesn't mean anything. You're still my number one girl," Havoc implored.

"I hate to say it like this, Havoc, but I'm you're ONLY girl, as it should be," Elly told him. "But when you start chasing every skirt that passes your way it just…. frustrates me."

"I don't chase everyone," Havoc protest.

"Oh yeah? Name one woman within this military compound you haven't chased after at least once."

"Um… Kat?"

"You went on a date with her once, quite willingly, remember?" Elly reminded him.

"Aw, why doesn't Mustang get reprimanded like I do?"

"Oh trust me he's next."

A couple hours later Roy Mustang sat at his desk staring at the door where Kat had just been forced in by a hand he was sure belonged to Elly. "What is it you want Lieutenant?" he asked looking back at his papers.

"Um, well, General, I was hoping we could have a discussion of personal matters," Kat told him deciding it was better to get to the heart of the matter.

"You do realize we are in a work area," Roy said as he began shuffling through papers.

"Yes, but I haven't been able to catch you at any other time. You've been so… preoccupied it seems," Kat confided. Lately it seemed like Roy was avoiding her, and she didn't know why.

"Yes well I've been very busy lately," Roy answered nonchalantly. "As a General I have many more responsibilities that need tending to."

"I know…I…I just…I just would like a few minutes of your time," Kat replied biting her lip. "If that's all right with you sir."

"Very well, what is it you want?" Roy muttered glancing up from his papers.

"Did I anger you in some way?" Kat asked him, her heart compressing with anxiety.

"What makes you think that?" Roy asked sounding almost exasperated.

"Well, it just seems like you…don't want me around. And I heard from one of the officers that you were having coffee with the girl at the flower shop."

"Yes…is there a problem with that?" Roy asked with a sigh.

"I guess not," Kat muttered as her eyes filled up with tears.

Then she turned around and sprinted out the door and right past Elly who saw tears streaming down her cheeks. "That does it," Elly said marching into the room and catching Roy's attention. "Look General you've got to be one of the most clueless people in the world to not catch onto the whole reason she wanted to talk to you."

"Elinora, if this isn't something of immediate importance then please leave me to my work," Roy told her as he began signing forms. Elly slammed both fists down on his desk scattering the forms. He glared up at her in irritation. "Do you WANT to get demoted?"

"Look here, General Mustang. Kat's worried about you and you just completely blew her off! And what's this about you being with another woman?"

"My relationship with Kat, or any woman for that matter, does not concern you."

"Kat's my friend. It concerns me plenty. And right now she's unhappy because you're too thick-headed to show that you even care unless she's in nothing less of mortal peril. Keep that up and one of these days she'll leave you, and I'll be right behind her."

"What about Havoc?"

"He seems to be having the same problems you are, he can't keep his eyes off other women," Elly retorted.

"In any case, she won't leave," He said with a smirk. "Where else does she have to go?"

"You'd be surprised," Elly retorted standing up straight. "I warn you now Roy Mustang, unless you start shaping up and showing her some affection you'll find her gone and she won't come back." With that she turned on her heel and left the room.

END FLASHBACK

Roy heaved a heavy sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Why did they always have to pull something like this?

"Elly…" Havoc moaned. "I'm soooooooooooryyyyyyyyy!"

"Get a hold of yourself, Lieutenant," Roy ordered. "Elly and Kat are sensible enough not to get themselves in anything they can't handle…. At least not intentionally. Now return to your duties before I put YOU in the hospital."

"Okay," Havoc said reluctantly, giving Elly a peck on her cheek before he stood up and exited the room.

After Havoc left, Roy looked back at Kat and placed a hand on her forehead. "Kathleen Hughes…I hope you and Elly knew what you were doing. Whatever you're doing just make sure that you come back in one piece okay," Roy whispered softly. Then he took a deep breath, stood up, and walked out of the room getting back to work.

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"Nora!" Elly turned to see Kimbley bounding towards her with a wide grin on his face.

"What's up?" she asked him.

"I hope you've been polishing up your act because we're going to be performing tomorrow," he told her grabbing her beneath the arms and lifting her into the air.

"Woah…excited are we?" Elly asked laughing.

"Yeah only a little bit," Kimbley said putting her down and rubbing her head. "I get to have my first real performance on the trapeze."

"Oh that's right…I kind of forgot about that. Well I think I'm ready…though a little more practice couldn't hurt," Elly said smiling.

"No it couldn't. I don't want you falling like last time," Kimbley said his face going momentarily serious.

"Aw, no worries. I don't usually make the same mistake twice," Elly said with a confident smile.

Kimbley laughed. "You know… you seem a lot livelier these past few days."

"Is that bad?" Elly asked uncertainly.

"Nah, I think it suits you rather well," he said before giving her a kiss. "By the way, your brother wanted to talk to you. You might want to go see him."

"Okay," Elly agreed finding that the kiss didn't bother her.

"He thinks being livelier fits me?" Elinora asked surprised.

"Yep…you just kind of go with the flow right now…but sometimes it's better to take and active roll in your life," Elly told her confidently. Then she turned away from Kimbley waving at him as she left to find her brother.

"You wanted to see me brother?" Elinora asked walking into the tent.

"Yes, you remember what today is don't you?" Scar asked.

"Um…" Elly called out to Elinora for help and she explained what he meant. "Yeah…today is the anniversary of mothers…death," she said sadly.

Scar nodded. "Precisely, so we'll be holding a private ceremony in her honor. Before that, however, Kimbley wanted to take you somewhere for a while. In the meantime, Solaris and I will make the necessary preparations."

"Okay…where is Kimbley?" Elly asked.

"He's over at your usual place," Scar answered.

"Thanks," Elly said before walking out the door. "So…where is this usual spot?" Elly asked Elinora. Elinora gave her directions with an air of wonderment. Elly followed the directions to a T and eventually found herself on a small hill covered with grass, flowers, and trees in sparse numbers. "Wow…this place is gorgeous," Elly mumbled out loud.

"Not nearly half as gorgeous as you," she heard Kimbley say as he stepped out from behind a tree.

Elly blushed at the compliment as he came forward and planted a small kiss on her mouth. "I'm glad you came," he said.

Elly still felt really weird whenever he did this but let him as this wasn't her life. "Brother said you wanted to take me somewhere?" she asked him.

"It's not far from here," Kimbley told her smiling. He offered her his hand and she took it without question. Then he led her off toward a certain area where a small ledge over looked a river as the sun set in the distance.

"This is…really great," Elly said as her breath was taken away.

"I'm glad you like it," Kimbly said with a smile. "I want to continue doing things that make you happy, for the rest of my life." Elly stared at him as he took both her hands in his and went down to one knee. "Elinora…will you make me the happiest man on earth, by marrying me?"

Elly felt both her mind and Elinora's mind go numb and they sat there for a few minutes in surprise. "Um…Elinora…this is your proposal…how do you want to answer?" Elly asked feeling slightly awkward.

"Uh, well I do like him," Elinora started. A few moments later she took a deep breath and said, "Oh tell him yes…yes I really want to."

Elly agreed and said with a lot of enthusiasm, "YES!"

A broad grin broke across Kimbley's face and he lept up, lifting Elly off the ground and spinning her around. "Thank you," he said hugging her against him. "You have no idea how happy you've made me."

"I think I do," she thought feeling how ecstatic Elinora was as she heard her squeal with joy inside her head. "It's getting late," Elly pointed out. "Should we go find my brother so we can join in with the festivities?"

Kimbley nodded. "Of course, love." And with that, the newly engaged couple went to join their family.

xxxxxxx

Kate stared at Greed in surprise and was extremely curious as to why he was left alone with her children. "Leo…how were the kids?" Roy asked weakly.

"As angelic as ever," Leo told him. "We had a lot of fun didn't we kids."

"We sure did Mr. Leo," Troy exclaimed happily.

"Yeah…it was lots of fun," Calli agreed.

Once Kat got her tongue unstuck, after some help from the shouting Kate, she cleared her throat and said, "Thank you for taking care of them."

"Ah no problem…you know I'm always willing to help out," Leo replied with a shrug.

Suddenly Roy clutched his shoulder in a spasm of pain.

"Would you like to lie down?" Kat asked him, placing a comforting hand on his opposite shoulder.

"Wow, that's a first. Usually you'd tell him to suck it up," a familiar voice said as Jean Havoc, or at least a man who looked liked him walking in the room.

"He's here too, huh?" Kat thought.

"Yeah, he's Roy's friend. I personally don't care for him," Kate informed. "The guy's a wuss, a chauvinist, and to top it off he's racist."

"He's racist?" Kat asked in surprise.

"Yeah…what, was he actually cool in your world?" Kate asked rolling her eyes.

"Not really…but he didn't really care too much about race," Kat explained.

"So, what's been eating you?" Havoc asked. "It'd have to be really bad if you're actually acting nice."

"She's not acting, Jean," Roy said smiling at Kat. "She's decided to turn over a new leaf."

"She'd have to turn over a whole tree," Jean muttered.

"Or I could just turn you over," Kat said with a smile.

"I'd love to see you try," Havoc challenged.

"Oh come now there's no reason to fight here….unless we have some bets going," Leo spoke up. "So Roy, who do you think will win?"

"Oh…Kate hands down," Roy chuckled.

"Oh come on…you know she can't fight physically," Havoc muttered feeling put out.

"Let's test that theory," Kat said stretching her arms.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Kate asked. "He is right after all…I really don't know how to physically fight."

"Don't worry…I've done this plenty of times," Kat reassured her.

"You're going to regret this. Normally I don't like fighting women… but I guess you can hardly be considered a woman, can you?" Havoc asked rolling up his cuffs.

"Quit your posturing and let's do this," Kat said beckoning with her fingers.

Havoc took the bait and rushed toward her as Roy felt himself worrying about her safety and Leo looked excited. Unbeknownst to the adults, Troy and Calli were watching the spectacle quietly cheering on their mother.

It didn't take too long as Kat made several well placed, but harmless, punches that took Havoc by surprise. Then she swept her leg through Havoc's legs and used her hands to shove him to the ground.

"There….how was that for someone who can't fight physically?" Kat asked with a smirk.

"Mommy…that was so cool," Calli and Troy exclaimed as they came rushing up and hugging her about her waist.

"And that, kids, is how you handle a bully," Kat said rubbing them affectionately on the head.

Roy looked both surprised and impressed while Leo was laughing. "She got you good, Havoc."

"Where the heck did she learn that?" Havoc wondered as he picked himself up off the floor scowling.

"I didn't know you could do that," Roy whispered to Kat.

"Hehe… well, you know…" Kat said smiling sheepishly and very un-Kate like which made it all the more endearing.

"Well since you seem to be in much better spirits than I've seen in a long time," Leo started with a mischievous grin. "I thought it'd be fun to go to the Gypsy performance." He pulled out a large poster of what looked like a circus and handed it to Kat to check out. "Of course…it'd only be if you were up to it Roy," he added

"I can't believe you even decided to ask that," Havoc muttered shaking his head. "I see no point in encouraging those…homeless things to continue their little acts here."

"That's very unkind of you, Jean," Kat said admonishingly. She glanced over the poster and her eyes widened when she saw the picture. The girl in it looked a lot like Elly. "Oh, Roy, can we? We could even take the children. We could make it a family outing."

"That alright with you?" Kat asked Kate.

"I don't have anything against it. That's my day off anyway," Kate replied uncaringly.

"Perfect," Kat exclaimed happily.

"Sure, I think it'd be a lot of fun," Roy agreed. "You should come too Havoc…who know maybe you'll find something there that you like," he suggested turning to Havoc.

Havoc grumbled something about him not thinking so but spotted the girl on the poster and decided he owed her at least one show. "Fine…but I won't be making a habit out of it."

"Great, then it's settled. Tomorrow we're going to the circus," Kat announced.

"Yay! The circus!" Calli and Troy cheered.

"Roy, has your wife been popping pills lately?" Havoc asked him in a serious tone.

"Nope," Roy replied smiling. "She just decided to return to that joyful person I fell in love with."

xxxxxxxx

The next day Roy and Kat had their hands full trying to keep track of their children while dragging a more and more grumpy looking Havoc along. There was plenty of excitement in the air as parents chased their laughing children to try to get them to settle down, and as several police were seen standing around to keep a riot from starting up.

"Mommy, could we get some ice cream?" Calli asked.

"I want a balloon," Troy said.

"Leo, Jean, could you get the kids their treats while Roy and I find a few good seats?" Kat asked the two men, handing Leo a dollar.

"Sure thing, Kate," Leo said grinning and Havoc just went along in silence.

"We better hurry otherwise all the good seats will be taken," Kat said. Roy chuckled and Kat stared at him. "What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking… we haven't done anything like this in a long time," Roy said smiling. "Not since we got married, I think."

"That long, huh?" Kat asked.

"Calli was just about to be born and I was still in school," Kate explained. "Not only that, I was disowned from my family. It was a hard knock life."

"I'm sorry," Kat expressed sadly.

xxxxxxxxx

"So are you ready for your opening act?" Kimbley asked giving Elly a big hug.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Elly murmured feeling the butterflies build up in her stomach. "What about you?"

"I'm ecstatic," Kimbley said with a big grin. "I get to perform next to my future wife after all."

"That's true," Elly agreed feeling her face go red.

"Elinora, Kimbley, you two are on in ten minutes," Scar called through the flap to their tent. "Make sure you're ready…and good luck."

"Thanks brother," Elly said taking a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"You'll do fine," Kimbley assured her. "If anything happens this time, I'll catch you."

Elly smiled. "Thanks."

The two waited until it was time before entering the ring.

"Oh my gosh, that's Elly!" Kat thought. "And… wait… Kimbley too?"

"Friends of yours I take it?" Kate asked.

"You could say that," Kat replied.

"You seem rather excited," Roy commented, wrapping his good arm around her waist.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Kat said smiling. "How's that shoulder?"

"Better, thank you," he said before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Mommy it's starting," Calli exclaimed excitedly as she and the others joined the couple in the stands.

"Oh I can't wait to see how well that girl does," Leo expressed. "I've heard she's really good at what she does."

"If you guys want to watch it then stop talking or else you'll miss it," Havoc muttered.

Just as he said this some music started and the Gypsie girl who looked like Elly raised her hands and bowed before climbing up a tall ladder and preparing to step on the thin wire that was there. In the meantime Kimbley and a couple other Gypsies took their places at the trapeze stands.

"Oh man…I'll never get over how high this place is," Elly muttered to herself.

"You'll do great…just don't look down," Elinora told her encouragingly.

"We'll see how well that works in a bit won't we," Elly thought worriedly.

Then as the music began she took a step onto the thin wire and tried her hardest to keep her attention directed toward the platform in front of her. Then she started her dangerous walk across the line knowing that at any moment she could slip and fall dozens of feet to the ground below. At one point she started to lose her balance but with some help from Elinora she managed to get a hold of herself and continue on. Then as she was close to the other platform she felt her focus slipping as she knew her walk was coming to an end, and in doing so she missed a step and fell as the crowd screamed in surprise and terror.

Then at the last second she felt something grab a hold of her and stop her decent. Looking up she found that Kimbley had used the trapeze to catch her and brought her up to his platform playing her mess up off as part of the act. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yeah…I'm sorry," Elly said breathing hard. "I…I think I just lost my concentration that's all."

"No worries, I told you I wouldn't let you fall," he said taking her hand and leading her in a bow.

"Oh wow, that was close," Kat breathed a sigh of relief. She had been on the edge of her seat during the whole act.

She watched as the two who looked like Elly and Kimbley left the ring and looked at her husband. "I'll be right back. In the need for a bathroom break."

"Alright, but don't take too long," Roy said trying not to sound too concerned. "And be careful."

"I will," Kat promised before leaving her seat and navigating through the crowd towards the tents.

xxxxxxxx

"You sure you're alright?" Kimbley asked once he and Elly had made it back to the tent.

"Yes, I'm sure," Elly said smiling. Then with a little push from Elinora she gave him a kiss on the cheek to reassure him.

"Okay…well I'm going to change but I'll be right back," Kimbley told her smiling. Then he turned around and left the tent.

Once he left Elly turned back around and started to remove her shirt to change. She stopped halfway through as she heard someone enter her tent. Before she could fully turn back toward the entrance she heard someone shout her name and then super glomp her sending her sprawling on the ground.

"Elly! I've finally found you! You ARE Elly, aren't you?" She added uncertainly.

"Kat?" Elly groaned. "Yeah, it's me. Where the heck have you been?"

"I could ask you that same question. All I remember is going through the gate and then waking up… ahem, somewhere else," Kat said crawling off her friend.

"Yeah…same here," Elly replied. "Did you see the show?"

"Yeah I saw your act," Kat told her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…but boy that was the freakiest thing I've ever done," Elly said holding her head.

"So…I saw your brother, Lust, and Kimbley," Kat said bringing up what she really wanted to get cleared up.

"Yeah….my brother is married to Solaris….and," Elly said her face turning red. "I'm getting married to Kimbley."

Kat's eyes widened. "Oh… wow. That's very… just wow."

"What about you? Where have you been all this time?" Elly asked her.

"I well, ahem," Kat said blushing. "I was with my… husband and kids."

"You're…HUSBAND?" Elly asked her eyes widening. "Who's that?"

"….Roy," Kat replied reluctantly. "It's Roy."

Elly couldn't control herself….she busted up laughing uncontrollably at the thought of the two of them actually being married. "S-so…who else…have you seen?" she asked gasping for air.

"Well, I saw Greed… a homunculi that helped me out back in our world. And I also saw Havoc," Kat told her.

"You saw Havoc, huh?" Elly asked, her face sudden taking a fall.

"I take it by your reaction, so have you," Kat guessed.

"…Yeah," Elly said. "Yeah I have. Twice actually."

"Um... excuse me, but you're not supposed to be in here."

Kat and Elly turned to see Kimbley standing there looking confused and Kat almost ran up to hug him but refrained from doing so. "Oh… I'm sorry," Kat apologized. "I just wanted to personally express my amazement to the star performer."

"I'm glad you liked the performance, but this area is off limits to the public," Kimbley said protectively.

"It's alright Kimbley," Elly said quickly. "She's….a good friend of mine…and helped me out awhile back."

"You know her?" Kimbley asked placing his arm around Elly's waist.

"Yes…and if it's alright…I'd like to meet with her after the performance is over," Elly replied smiling.

"I don't see any harm in that," Kimbley replied happily. "Just as long as you let your brother know…you know how gets about things like this."

"I know…thank you," Elly said appreciatively.

Kat meanwhile was trying to hide the giggles that were threatening to burst loose and Elly glared at her in warning. After Kat told Elly where she and everyone else was sitting she left allowing her to get changed. Soon the performance was over and the crowd began to dispurse.

"Can we just go?" Havoc grumbled. "We came, we saw, we don't need to linger."

"Loosen up, Jean. It's not like you have anything better to do," Kat told him, searching for Elly's red hair.

"So why are you wanting to hang around?" Roy asked smiling at her enthusiasm.

"I told you…I met the main performer," Kat told him. "I wanted to introduce her to you…she's really great."

"Ooh…I never thought I'd be able to meet one of the performers face to face," Leo said excitedly. "This is going to be a lot of fun."

Kat glanced around and finally spotted Elly getting jostled by a few people exiting the area. "There she is," Kat pointed.

She began waving frantically until Elly finally noticed her and began making her way over to the group.

"Everyone, this is Elly," Kat introduced once Elly had arrived.

"Hello everyone," she said sheepishly when she approached them. She avoided looking over at Havoc who was avoiding facing her direction all together. "Actually it's Elinora…but close enough."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you," Roy said with a large warm smile.

"Wow…he's nothing like what I expected," Elly thought seeing the warmth in his eyes. "He's…actually showing his emotions…without any pretense."

All of a sudden Elly felt a small tug on her dress and looked down to see a mini Roy staring up at her. "Pretty lady…is walking in the sky like that scary?" Troy asked curiously.

"Don't get so close to her," Havoc yelled at the kid.

"What is the matter with you?" Kat demanded, kneeling next to Troy who looked as if he might start crying.

"It's okay…Kate…I'm used to it by now," Elly muttered making the connection that this was the girl Havoc had mentioned earlier. "In answer to your question….yeah…it can get pretty scary up there," she said smiling at the little boy.

"Woah…how can you do all that then?" Calli asked curiously.

"A lot of practice and I don't look down," Elly explained patting her head.

Kat sent a warning look at Havoc who kept his mouth shut this time and instead decided to take the low route and walk off. She shook his head. "I don't get it."

"Though I'm not entirely in agreement with him, I'm sure he has his reasons" Roy said placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Elinora…your brother's looking for you," a familiar voice called out.

Elly turned around and to her surprise found an older looking Edward and Alphonse Elric. "Ed?" Elly murmured. "How have you been mini bean?" she asked trying to keep her enthusiasm down.

"I'm not a mini bean," Ed muttered without going off like usual.

"Edward," Kat exclaimed. "How's my DLF been after all this time?"

"Is this…Kat?" Ed thought hearing her question. "If so…then that would mean…that this is Elly too."

"What are you guys doing h-mph!" Ed was cut off as Kat and Elly both clamped a hand over his mouth.

"More friends of yours, dear?" Roy asked curiously.

Ed and Al both paused when they saw Roy. "Dear?" they chorused.

"Uh, yes, these are a couple of friends I know from work," Kat said quickly.

"Yes…and I know them because….they come to watch our show a lot," Elly added nervously.

"This is…Edward and Alphonse," Kat said introducing the two to her family.

"A pleasure to meet you all," Ed and Al said and shook hands with both Roy and Leo. Kat figured they must have deduced that Leo wasn't the same as Greed here in this world.

"I hate to cut this meeting short, but it's getting late and I need to be back at the shop," Leo said.

"We should probably go too, Kate. Tomorrow's a school day and we need to get the kids in bed at a proper time," Roy said.

"Alright," Kat conceded. "Well I'll see you guys later." She gave a hug to Elly and whispered something hurriedly to her before waving farewell and following Roy away from the group.

"So…Kat's actually married to Roy?" Ed asked trying to choke down a laugh.

"Yeah…I was very surprised myself," Elly told them laughing.

"So how did you two get here anyway?" Al asked curiously.

"Well…I'll explain that later," Elly told them. "Kat told me to meet her tonight at the city's fairgrounds…you two know where that is right?" They nodded and she continued, "Great then meet us there tonight at 9 and we'll explain everything…that we can….to you."

xxxxxxxxx

Roy gave a small twinge of pain.

"Sorry, I'm almost done," Kat apologized as she carefully peeled off his bandages.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Roy said putting on a brave face.

Kat finished taking off the bandages before rubbing the medical cream over his burns. He gave a relieved sigh as the cream soothed the minor throbbing. "It's looking a lot better," she told him encouragingly.

"That's good. Are the kids in bed?"

"Yeah, I tucked them in before I came here."

Once she had redressed his shoulder, she set the gauze aside. "Done," she said proudly. She was getting a lot better at treating his injuries thanks to Kate's help.

"Thank you for taking such good care of me," Roy whispered to her.

"Hey, that's what I'm here for," Kat said smiling.

Roy smiled before leaning forward and kissing her. Kat was taken by surprised when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his bare chest. Her mind was reeling by the time his lips separated from hers and he began planting kisses along her jaw and down her neck.

"R-Roy?" Kat whispered.

"Hmm…?" he asked continuing on. "Do you want me to stop?"

"Uh…" Kat and Kate were both in agreement that they did not want him to stop. Even though Kat was in initial control, both she and her counterpart could feel what was going on, which felt like getting a double dose of pleasure in one shot. Kat's pulse was firing off like a tommy gun and her skin tingled where his lips traced.

"Heh…I'll take that as a no," he whispered with a chuckle. His hand moved slowly up her back and over her shoulders, then moved back down her back. "I haven't been able to thank you properly yet….but if you'll let me…I'd like to do so now."

Kat could feel her face flush with heat. "Oh geez, and he says it so sweetly too," she thought.

"I know, it's that face that got me right from the start," Kate agreed.

"But Roy… your shoulder…" Kat attempted at an excuse, though she didn't want to out right tell him no.

"Oh it'll be just fine," Roy assured her. "Even if it did start to hurt…it'd be well worth it."

Kat started breathing hard as she was pushed back onto the bed without any resistance while his good arm gently caressed her face.

Kat couldn't stop herself from running her fingers over the contours of his torso. He was very well built and his skin was smooth and soft beneath her fingers.

He chuckled as her touch tickled him slightly and lowered his face to hers. "I love you, Kathleen Mustang," he whispered before kissing her again. Then she felt his hand move around her side massaging the area lovingly.

Kat felt her heart leap with exultance at his words. She couldn't even think back on how long she had wanted to hear those words pass through his lips. For the first time she felt loved and wanted. Things began to get heated as limbs began entwining and she felt Roy move one of his warm hands under her shirt while the other stroked her thigh.

Suddenly she heard a voice echo inside of her head. "Kat… when are you coming home?"

"Roy?"

Her eyes snapped open and suddenly she grabbed Roy's hand, halting his progress. Vividly she remembered there had been a time back when Envy had disguised himself as Roy and told her the same thing, but it had meant nothing because it had been nothing but an ugly impersonation. Though circumstances were different here, one thing remained the same. This man wasn't hers. She wasn't the woman he loved.

"Is there something wrong?" Roy asked surprised that she stopped him.

"I'm sorry… can we just… not tonight? It's nothing you did," she added quickly. "Tonight's just not a good night."

Roy looked surprised, and a little disappointed, but he smiled nonetheless in an understanding manner. "Alright… I'll wait until you're ready." He kissed her on the forehead before lying down beside her and wrapping an arm around her so that she was resting against him. "Goodnight, honey," he whispered.

"Goodnight," Kat returned. She waited until he fell asleep before she slipped out of his grasp and crept out of the house.

"That man of yours is very lucky," Kate told her. "You must really love him, huh?"

"More than he'll ever know," Kat replied before going to meet Elly, Ed, and Al.

xxxxxxxx

"General," a soldier called bursting through the door in the infirmary. "Sir we've got a huge problem."

"What is it?" Roy asked turning his attention away from the sleeping brunette in front of him.

"Well sir there appears to be a huge storm that hit the city just outside of Western Command," the soldier explained. "It's not stopping and it's almost led to flooding after only two hours."

"Is anybody doing anything about it?" Roy asked with a hint of impatience. It aggravated him that this was a problem he couldn't help to fix due to his... limits.

"Lt. Colonel Armstrong has been working to build a blockade to stop the flow of water, but he can't be everywhere at once, and all the other alchemists are getting worn out," the soldier reported.

"Tell them not to let up and to keep that storm at bay as best as they can. The last thing Central needs is a mass flood," Roy commanded.

"Sir!" he saluted before running out the room past Havoc who had just entered.

"They're running around like chickens out there," he muttered before looking over at the red head lying completely still, hooked up to the monitors and the IVs. "Nothing?"

Roy shook his head, "No change."

"Man with all this wind and water flying around out there, it makes me wish they were around to help out," Havoc murmured, voicing Roy's thoughts.

"Havoc…go see what else can be done to help protect the city from the flood," Roy muttered. Havoc really didn't want to leave but from the tone in Roy's voice he decided to listen and left without a word. As soon as Havoc left Roy took Kat's hand in his and whispered, "Kat…when are you coming home?"

xxxxxxx

CM: Now that the two girls have found Edward and Alphonse, will they be able to get them back home? Stay tuned! We're doing our best to get these chapters out. pLease bear with us. _


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